mandel: michael thompson's accuser refutes one allegation made against him
the first woman to accuse toronto councillor michael th...
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the first woman to accuse toronto councillor michael thompson of sexual assault on that canada day weekend two years ago insists he rubbed his hands under her bikini after asking if he could apply her sunscreen. “he was very handsy,” she’d told police.
it was an “out of body experience,” she testified during thompson’s judge-alone trial, as she alleged that he touched her buttocks and then her breasts while she lay on the muskoka cottage dock with her friends beside them and neighbours nearby.
but what thompson didn’t do — despite another crown witness testifying that she’d told her otherwise — was penetrate her digitally.
“absolutely not,” she said under cross-examination by thompson’s lawyer leora shemesh. “that didn’t happen.”
she and her friend, their names protected by a publication ban, have accused thompson, 64, of sexual assault in separate incidents during their 2022 cottage visit. the six-time scarborough centre councillor has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
at the opening of his bracebridge trial, the prosecutor alleged thompson lured the women to the luxury muskoka cottage owned by lawyer calvin barry with promises of mentorship and networking opportunities, but instead preyed on them after plying them with marijuana and alcohol.
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the crown alleged he touched one woman sexually during a massage and “forced” a non-consensual sex act upon a second in the middle of the night, despite her being heavily intoxicated and telling him “no.”
under cross-examination, the articulate and steadfast first accuser admitted it was her assumption that it would be a work-related event, but thompson never told her the guest list. shemesh suggested the politician warned her the day before her arrival that there’d been a lot of cancellations because of the cool weather — but she maintained she couldn’t recall that conversation and was surprised to see only one other car in the driveway when she and her girlfriend arrived on the sunday.
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she agreed she’d had about six to seven drinks and had smoked marijuana before the alleged assault occurred on the dock, but vehemently disagreed when thompson’s lawyer said she was the one who asked him to apply sunsrcreen on her back.
“that’s incorrect,” the woman said firmly. “he asked me.”
she recalled “floating above” her body while he touched her buttocks and then her breasts, she testified. “i just wanted it to be over.”
the defence lawyer suggested she actually remained on her stomach and thompson didn’t touch her buttocks covered by her bathing suit bottom or ask her to turn over. “incorrect,” she said.
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shemesh told her a crown witness — a third woman at the cottage — testified she never saw her turn on to her back. “incorrect,” she repeated.
she didn’t leave because she was too intoxicated to drive, she explained, but denied she couldn’t recall events because she’d blacked out. after a “nice” dinner with thompson, she said he went to lie down and the girls hung out drinking and smoking drugs at the dock. when they called it a night, she said her friend tried to slip naked into her bed, but she told her to leave.
the following morning, she said her friend told her thompson had wanted to have sex.
“and according to your statement to the police, you tell them that ‘she gave him (oral sex) to get him to stop bothering her and to let her to go to sleep?” shemesh asked.
“correct,” she responded.
shemesh asked if she later told a male acquaintance that she’d ensure thompson never ran for mayor.
“i didn’t think this person should be in the position of mayor given his conduct at the cottage,” she said.
the second complainant is sick, so her scheduled testimony thursday has now been delayed to the next available court date — in february. shemesh told the court the defence will then be calling “a host” of witnesses.
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this means the fate of the councillor — under a cloud of suspicion — won’t be known any time soon.
mmandel@postmedia.com
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