BRACEBRIDGE, Ont.鈥敽＝巧缜偻鴆ity Coun. Michael Thompson was portrayed in court Monday as someone who duped a young woman into joining him at a friend鈥檚 cottage with 鈥渇alse promises,鈥 then plied his guests with alcohol before allegedly sexually assaulting two of them.
Thompson, 64, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of sexual assault; his lawyer, Leora Shemesh, says he vigorously denies 鈥渁ny and all allegations.鈥
On Monday, on the first day of trial at this Cottage Country courthouse, Crown attorney Mareike Newhouse gave Justice Philop Brissette an overview of the case 鈥 a rare criminal prosecution of a sitting 海角社区官网councillor who remains active in municipal politics.
On Canada Day weekend in 2022, Newhouse said, Thompson massaged one woman in a sexual manner 鈥渢o which she did not consent鈥 and, hours later, 鈥渇orced himself鈥 on another woman who was 鈥渧ery, very drunk.鈥
The second complainant 鈥渃learly remembers telling him no,鈥 Newhouse said; despite this, she will testify Thompson put his penis on her and ejaculated on her, she said.
The two complainants, whose identities are covered by a publication ban, are expected to testify at trial later this week.
Newhouse opened her case on Monday by calling to the witness stand a university student who also cannot be identified.
She testified she was 22 when she first met Thompson at a Yorkville art gallery, and initially had no idea who he was. 鈥淗e approached me asking questions and insisted we have wine,鈥 mentioning he had 鈥渃onnections in the creative sphere,鈥 she said.聽
It was 鈥減retty obvious the way I was dressed that I was a creative,鈥 the now 24-year-old said, explaining that she agreed to meet him again that night at a nearby restaurant. Once there, the six-term councillor, who represents Ward 21, Scarborough Centre, led her to believe he 鈥渉as control over finances in these creative programs around the city,鈥 she said.
The encounter 鈥渟eemed like a cool alignment of events,鈥 she said, testifying that Thompson seemed like he could be her 鈥渕entor鈥 and that he presented himself as 鈥渟omeone who would look out for me.鈥
He later drove her to her suburban home north of Toronto; before she got out of the car, she said he handed her two $50 bills and 鈥渋nsisted I take it,鈥 which she did. (During cross-examination, she rejected defence lawyer Shemesh鈥檚 suggestion that Thompson gave her the money because she鈥檇 told him about the hardships she faced as a student.)
The woman testified that Thompson mentioned a 鈥渇uture weekend of networking鈥 up at a cottage, where the guest list would include a mixed group of male and female professionals.
The Muskoka cottage of 海角社区官网lawyer Calvin Barry, where Coun. Michael Thompson was accused of sexually assaulting two women over Canada Day weekend in 2022.
calvinbarrylaw/XAs the Canada Day 2022 weekend drew closer, she said she was concerned that 鈥渁ll of a sudden, the original people couldn鈥檛 make it,鈥 but was glad to hear another woman with a professional background would be present.
Thompson picked her up at her home on Friday, July 1, and they drove to Port Carling, in Muskoka. They spoke about politics, and navigating the world as a Black person in 鈥減rominently white affluent spaces.鈥 At one point, Thompson called Premier Doug Ford to wish him happy Canada Day. (The witness testified she felt he did it to impress her.)
At the cottage 鈥 which she described as 鈥渞elatively big鈥 but older 鈥 she said Thompson 鈥渆ncouraged a certain flow of events鈥 by offering drinks. Still, she felt comfortable knowing that many of her friends from high school were also in nearby in Muskoka for the long weekend.
Another woman, Thompson鈥檚 friend Tracy 鈥 no last name was given 鈥 arrived within an hour, and they smoked some of her homegrown cannabis. At first, she testified thinking, 鈥渕y mentors are chill,鈥 but her ease slowly dissipated.
The other woman invited her to 鈥渢est the bounciness of his bed鈥 and then, at some point 鈥 she didn鈥檛 know if it was the first or second day 鈥 she thought she heard Tracy and Thompson 鈥渒issing or something,鈥 which made her confused, as Thompson had presented their relationship as 鈥渇riendly.鈥
At another point, while sitting outside the cottage, the witness said Thompson casually told her: 鈥淔eel free to get naked,鈥 to which she said, 鈥淣o, I鈥檓 good.鈥
Later, she said she noticed 鈥渞ed flags鈥 as she chatted with the older woman, including that the other woman began pouring clear alcohol into her cup 鈥 鈥淪he was definitely trying to get me intoxicated,鈥 the witness testified.
鈥淚 started to get very iffy鈥 about her,鈥 she said, explaining that she began taking only sips from shot glasses and discreetly throwing the rest over her shoulder.
鈥淚n what way was he (Thompson) influencing the level of drinking,鈥 Newhouse asked.
He 鈥渨as always making sure I鈥檓 taken care of 鈥 by (having) a drink in hand,鈥 the witness responded.聽
Shemesh challenged this during her cross-examination, pointing to her police statement where the woman described Thompson as 鈥渁sking鈥 her if she wanted a drink. She also played in court snippets of cellphone video 鈥 taken from the witness鈥檚 phone 鈥 capturing her drinking wine and 鈥渃heering鈥 with Tracy.
鈥淵ou鈥檒l agree with me that he doesn鈥檛 force you to drink alcohol?鈥 Shemesh asked; the witness agreed, but said Thompson has a 鈥渃oercive nature.鈥
She recalled one occasion when she was sitting by the lake in her bikini coverup, wrapped in a blanket, when Thompson approached his friend Tracy 鈥 who was topless 鈥 and 鈥渟tarted massaging her shoulders and whispering to her.鈥 She said Thompson suggested for a second time: 鈥淔eel free to get naked.鈥
鈥淚 was really uncomfortable,鈥 she said, testifying she eventually went to bed.
The next day, the witness said she expected more people 鈥渢o be flowing in.鈥 Instead, two women 鈥 the complainants 鈥 arrived with a dog.
The witness said she saw Thompson getting 鈥渇eely鈥 with the new arrivals, and saw him massaging one of the complainants.
By this time, she said, Tracy had left, and the witness said she bonded with the two new women as they processed 鈥渨hat was going on.鈥澛
The next morning, the woman testified she spoke to the complainants. In court, the prosecutor told her not to repeat what they said, but asked her to describe their demeanour.
Both expressed shock, anger, confusion and feeling 鈥渢aken advantage of,鈥 she testified.
At the end of the weekend, the three women left together. The witness had originally planned to return with Thompson, and when she told him she was leaving without him, he was visibly annoyed, she said.
Did you hear from him again, Newhouse asked?
鈥淣o, I was ghosted,鈥 the woman said, adding he never followed up on his 鈥渇alse promises.鈥
Shemesh will resume her cross-examination when the trial resumes on Thursday.
