A court in Bracebridge has begun to hear testimony in the sexual assault trial involving longtime Toronto councillor Michael Thompson, stemming from alleged incidents that happened in the Muskoka area two years ago.
A 24-year-old woman, who is not one of the accusers in the case, was brought in as a witness from the Crown Monday.
The witness told the courts she met the Scarborough Centre councillor in the summer of 2022 while an undergraduate student at an event in Toronto.
She went on to recount that she did not know at the time of the event that Thompson was a councillor.
The courtroom also heard that after having conversations with Thompson about her professional achievements and aspirations, she was invited to what she was told was a networking opportunity at a Muskoka-area cottage during the Canada Day long weekend.
She recounted how she was surprised when she realized there were just two other women present on the day of the networking event.
The crown attorney gave the justice a summary of how the case will be laid out. The courts will be hearing testimonies from two complainants. Both accusers are said to have been surprised as well that only two people were at cottage when they arrived.
The first complainant is said to have had a business relationship with Thompson. At the cottage, she was allegedly massaged inappropriately by Thompson.
The second complainant will be testifying that she was drunk after being allegedly encouraged to drink by Thompson and that he would allegedly later force himself on her while repeatedly telling him no.
Thompson was charged by the OPP with two counts of sexual assault back in October 2022. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The 64-year-old is a long-time Toronto politician and has sat on numerous committees and boards. He was the chair of the economic and community development committee, a member of Mayor John Tory’s executive committee and was one of Tory’s ceremonial deputy mayors.
According to the City of Toronto, if any councillor is convicted of an offence and serves jail time, “[the] Member of Council is disqualified from holding office”
They add that “a Member convicted but not sentenced to serve time … can continue to hold office.”
“Council could also request the Integrity Commissioner to investigate the matter as a breach of the code of conduct,” read their statement. “Questions relating to penalties for members of Council should be directed to the Integrity Commissioner’s office.”
The identity of Crown’s witness and the two complainants are under a publication ban. The trial is set to continue later this week.
