Toronto councillor's sex assault trial moves to Barrie
Warning: This story contains details of alleged sexual assaults.
After beginning in Bracebridge, Ont., nearly seven months ago, the trial of sitting Toronto city councillor Michael Thompson resumed in a Barrie courtroom where after a lengthy delay the Crown's final witness finished her testimony.
Thompson is accused on two counts of sexual assault from two separate women who were guests of his during a Muskoka cottage weekend over the Canada Day long weekend in 2022. Thompson has pleaded not guilty and has maintained his innocence.
On Thursday, the trial resumed in the middle of the Crown's third witness, a woman who alleges Thompson lead her to a basement bedroom when she was severely intoxicated and forced oral sex upon her.
The witness, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, has previously told the court that she was woken up by Thompson early in the morning and had repeatedly told him to stop. The woman, who didn't know Thompson prior to arriving at the cottage, said the Scarborough Centre councillor ignored her protests and rubbed his erect penis on her face before ejaculating on her.
Story continues below advertisement
Pressed by Thompson's lawyer Leora Shemesh for details surrounding the account, the witness said her memory had gaps in it because she was so intoxicated.
Get daily National news
Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
'I just remember not wanting to do it,' she told the court. Questioned further about the circumstances, she told Shemesh, 'I said 'no,' I remember that.'
During a previous court date, Shemesh has presented an alternate narrative surrounding the events to the witness, suggesting it was in fact a consensual sex act. The witness previously denied Shemesh's account and continued to disagree on Thursday when Thompson's lawyer suggested the pair were flirting and had arranged to meet up after the other guests were asleep.
The witness pushed back and said there was nothing consensual agreed upon and that she had made it very clear to Thompson she didn't want to have sex.
The witness also said it was untrue when Shemesh suggested she was planning to pursue a civil lawsuit against Thompson and that she conspired with the other witnesses to say Thompson had digitally penetrated another guest.
Two other women, also protected by publication bans, have already told the court they knew Thompson in a professional capacity and were invited to the cottage weekend for what they thought would be a networking event.
One of the witnesses has previously testified that Thompson reached under her bathing suit and massaged her breasts and buttocks while applying sunscreen.
Story continues below advertisement
The trial is scheduled to resume in Barrie next week, when the defense is expected to call its first witness.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Global News
29 minutes ago
- Global News
NATO leaders to debate proposed hike to defence spending
NATO leaders are meeting to debate whether to more than double the alliance's defence spending target. Prime Minister Mark Carney is among the leaders around the table at the annual leaders' summit in The Hague, where a proposal is being discussed to increase the target to five per cent of annual GDP, up from the current two per cent. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte's proposal would break that into two parts. The first 3.5 per cent would be for core defence needs such as jets and weapons, while the remaining 1.5 per cent would be on defence-adjacent investments including infrastructure and cybersecurity. Before the official meeting of the North Atlantic Council, Carney held bilateral meetings with the prime minister of New Zealand, Christopher Luxon, and the prime minister of Estonia, Kristen Michal. The agenda was delayed Wednesday, with leaders still arriving as of 10:30 a.m., when their meeting was scheduled to begin. Story continues below advertisement Leaders entered the meeting room about 45 minutes later than planned. Carney chatted with several leaders before the meeting, including French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand also went over to speak for a couple of minutes with U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. A short video played before Rutte delivered remarks, with all the leaders sitting around a large table. Rutte said the meeting came at a dangerous time, noting the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine. He said NATO allies stood together and that leaders would take 'historic, transformational decisions.' 2:09 NATO 5% defence spending target tops agenda at Netherlands summit Rutte said there was a 'concrete' plan for all allies to spend five per cent of GDP to make NATO stronger. Story continues below advertisement 'This decision is deeply rooted in our core mission and is required to resource our plans and readiness,' Rutte said. 'This will also make NATO fairer, to ensure anyone and everyone contributes their fair share for our security.' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Rutte went on to say that 'for too long, one ally, the United States, carried too much of the burden of that commitment.' 'And that changes today,' he said, adding that Trump 'made this change possible.' Rutte said the allies will agree to further increase defence production so that its armed forces have 'everything they need.' He said decisions include continuing allies' support to Ukraine and called on Russia to 'end its aggression.' Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof added that the NATO allies were 'about to write history' by making decisions leading to an 'unprecedented increase' in its collective defence spending and a new financial balance in its alliance. 'Both are urgent, both are necessary and both will help make our transatlantic bond even stronger,' Schoof said. Noting the war in Ukraine, Schoof said there is a 'renewed awareness' that peace can't be taken for granted and that it needs to be protected. 'And yes, peace comes at a cost,' Schoof said, urging members to stand united and 'embrace' the plan. 'We must act on this swiftly and decisively.' Story continues below advertisement Carney told CNN International on Tuesday that Canada will reach the target in part by developing deposits of critical minerals and that some of the work will be done in partnership with the European Union, EU member states, the U.K. and other allies. He also said five per cent of GDP would mean a $150-billion defence budget for Canada. NATO said in 2024 Canada spent $41 billion. All 32 NATO member counties have to agree on a new spending target and will also have to debate the timeline for its implementation. 1:24 'All allies agree' on new NATO defence spending target, Secretary-General says Earlier this year, U.S. President Donald Trump suggested the U.S. might abandon its commitments to the alliance if member countries don't meet their defence spending targets. The president generated more uncertainty Tuesday when he said his commitment to the mutual defence guarantee in the NATO treaty 'depends on your definition' of that guarantee. Story continues below advertisement Pressed later by reporters, Rutte said he has no doubt about the U.S. commitment to NATO and Article 5, the portion of the NATO treaty which says an armed attack on one member is an attack on all. Trump, who has long accused the alliance of not paying its fair share toward the cost of its defence, is also the key driver behind the plan to hike members' defence spending target. At a dinner event with NATO leaders Tuesday, Rutte thanked Trump for pushing for a spending hike and getting Europe to 'truly step up.' Kerry Buck, the former Canadian ambassador to NATO, told The Canadian Press that it's in the interests of Canada and European allies to keep the U.S. in NATO as 'deep and as long as possible.' 'Whatever we can do to get through this NATO summit with few public rifts between the U.S. and other allies on anything, and satisfy a very long-standing U.S. demand to rebalance defence spending, that will be good for Canada because NATO's good for Canada,' Buck said. Britain, France, the Netherlands and Germany have all committed to the five per cent goal. NATO countries closer to the borders of Ukraine, Russia and its ally Belarus have also pledged to do so. But some are balking, including Spain and Slovakia. Story continues below advertisement Rutte warned Monday that no country can opt out of the target and that progress made toward the new target will be reviewed in four years. — With files from The Associated Press
Global News
an hour ago
- Global News
Feds to table bill with tougher bail, sentencing provisions in fall: Fraser
The Liberal government will table a bill this fall introducing stricter bail conditions and sentencing for some crimes, particularly those involving organized crime, human trafficking, home invasion and car theft, Justice Minister Sean Fraser said in an interview. 'It's perhaps obvious, given the tenor around the criminal justice system, that reforms are in order,' Fraser told The Canadian Press. The government will consider including additional reforms but 'at minimum' will implement the crime policies the Liberals promised during the spring federal election, Fraser said. Fraser was named justice minister by Prime Minister Mark Carney in May, following an election campaign which saw Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre blame the Liberals for a wave of violent crime. In their campaign platform, the Liberals in turn promised to make bail more difficult to get for some offences, including car thefts involving violence or organized crime, home invasions, and some human trafficking and smuggling offences. Story continues below advertisement They also promised tougher sentencing guidelines for repeat car thieves and violent and organized crime, and to allow for consecutive sentencing for some cases of car theft and for serious and violent offences. Fraser said some parts of the country have seen an increase in certain kinds of criminal activity. 'Auto thefts, though they may be down in the GTA this year compared to last, we have seen a trend where it was becoming a bigger problem,' he noted, adding some of that was driven by organized crime. The changes to the law will establish a stronger deterrent, Fraser said. 3:51 Doug Ford lambasts judges, says judiciary should be politically elected 'It's not just a reaction to something you read about in a headline,' he said. 'It's meant to send a signal to deter problematic behavior that you want to address, to help people feel safe.' Story continues below advertisement Fraser said the government will consult on its plans and he's open to suggestions based on expertise and evidence. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy This bail reform plan comes two years after the Liberals introduced other bail-reform legislation in 2023. That came after calls from provincial leaders and many police chiefs to make bail more difficult to access for repeat violent offenders. The bill, which took effect in January 2024, made changes to bail for some firearms and weapons offences, and some circumstances in which the alleged crime involves intimate partner violence. The plan to introduce tougher measures comes after years of Conservatives accusing the Liberals of taking a 'soft' approach to crime. Asked whether the coming legislation amounts to an admission the Conservatives had a point, Fraser said he views it 'differently.' 'We hear from Canadians more broadly that there is a challenge with the criminal justice system,' he said. 'There is a challenge with the bail system.' 2:12 Ontario police unions demand federal bail reform Fraser said that while he takes issue with what he called the Conservatives' 'simplistic' slogans, Canadians across the country have 'real concerns' that can't be dismissed 'just because it's being raised in the House of Commons in a way that some may find inconvenient.' Story continues below advertisement He said that while there are areas where the federal government can do more, provincial governments — some of which have called for federal bail reform — have a big role to play. That role includes making sure judges and justices of the peace who make bail decisions have proper training, and detention centres have enough capacity, Fraser said. 'We want to come into this conversation knowing that we've taken care of the challenges that fall within the federal government's purview, but we also want to enter a conversation with provinces and territories to say that we are not the only cook in the kitchen,' he said. Fraser added the federal government also wants to bring provinces and territories together to work on gathering the data needed to address crime and justice issues at the local level. 'The circumstances in rural Nova Scotia may not reflect the circumstances in downtown Toronto or in Canada's North,' he noted. The federal government wants to take a wider approach to crime prevention that also addresses mental health, addictions, youth employment and affordable housing, Fraser said. 'We also want to make sure that we go upstream and prevent fewer people from falling into a criminal lifestyle,' he said.
CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
Ottawa won't release its budget for Canada Day festivities in the capital
A construction crane is seen as a cloud of smoke hovers above the ground during a fireworks show on Canada Day in Ottawa on Monday, July 1, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang OTTAWA — The federal government has set a budget for Canada Day programming in the National Capital Region this year but is refusing to say what it is. The budget for Canada Day celebrations in Ottawa and across the river in Gatineau, Que., typically ranges in the millions of dollars and pays for things like fireworks displays, performances and national broadcasts. A spokesperson for Heritage Canada said in a statement that while there is a budget for the events, the department won't provide the number until after the celebrations are over. 'To ensure the most accurate information is made public, the total cost will be available upon request after the final tallies have been completed this summer,' the spokesperson said. Neither Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault nor Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne responded to requests for comment about the budget for Canada Day this year. This is the first Canada Day since U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to annex the country and embroiled much of the world in a trade war. Angus Reid polling from early in the trade dispute in February showed a jump in national pride in the face of Trump's '51st State' talk. Some 44 per cent of respondents said at the time they were 'very proud' to be Canadian — up 10 points since just a few months earlier and reversing a long trend of declining national pride tracked by the pollster. A wave of 'buy Canadian' sentiment followed after the U.S. levied tariffs against Canada. A late May poll from Research Co. suggested three in five Canadians were still avoiding buying American goods when they could, though that was down four percentage points from a poll in March. Because the Angus Reid and Research Co. polls were conducted online, they can't be assigned a margin of error. In recent years, Heritage Canada has spent between $4.25 million and $5.5 million on July 1 festivities in the National Capital Region. Those figures fell below $3 million in 2020 and 2021 as the event went virtual during the COVID-19 pandemic. For the Canada 150 celebrations in 2017, the federal government spent more than $9 million over the course of three days that featured a royal visit from King Charles and Queen Camilla, who were the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall at the time. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2025. Craig Lord, The Canadian Press
