Toronto Coun. Michael Thompson testifies in his own defence at sexual assault trial

The sexual assault trial of a Toronto city councillor continued Tuesday with Michael Thompson taking to the witness box for the first time, describing meeting a young woman who he would later invite to the Muskoka cottage where the alleged assaults took place.

The sitting Scarborough councillor and former deputy mayor is facing two counts of sexual assault for alleged incidents between him and two women at the cottage over the Canada Day weekend in 2022.

He has pleaded not guilty to both charges. 

Thompson told the courtroom he invited many friends to the cottage that weekend, including a young woman he had met at an art gallery not long before. The city councillor said he invited the woman to bring her brother, sister and mother, but they couldn't attend as they had prior plans.

The woman, who is not one of the two complainants, told Thompson "she'd love to go to the cottage," the city councillor testified. 

Meeting at an art gallery in mid-2022, Thompson said the Western University student approached him with a glass of wine in hand and introduced herself. Thompson said he was "excited" to hear where she went to school as his son was also a student there.

The pair spoke for about 20-25 minutes, Thompson said, during which she expressed an interest in the cultural sector, which he told her he had experience in as a city councillor.

They exchanged phone numbers before she left, and the woman said she would text him if she was going to be at a nearby bar after a birthday party she was attending, Thompson testified.

Councillor offered to drive woman home

Earlier in the trial, court heard from the woman, who said it was Thompson who insisted she meet him at the bar later.

Thompson testified he offered to drive her, acknowledging in court that the trip was "out of the way," given he himself lived in Scarborough — the other side of the city. 

Asked why he offered her a ride, Thompson said, "It was late."

During the nearly hour-and-a-half drive, he said, she became emotional when talking about her personal challenges, including her father abandoning the family when she was young, as well as trouble finding work and paying her bills.

Before dropping her off, Thompson said he gave the woman two $50 bills to help pay for her cell phone, which she said was being disconnected because she couldn't afford to pay the bill.

"This is not unusual for me to do," Thompson testified. "This is something I naturally do, help someone."

The woman then kissed him on the cheek, he said.

Woman testifies money was 'unsolicited'

In her own testimony, the woman previously said Thompson offered her the money unprompted.

"It was uncalled for and it was unsolicited. He just handed it to me and insisted I take it."

Thompson said he didn't get the sense that she was inebriated and said he didn't speak to her about the cottage weekend during the car ride.

When he did invite the woman to the cottage, Thompson said he did not present it as a networking opportunity. In her testimony, the woman said it was described as such initially, but that the "narrative shifted" and eventually she was told a possible mentor would be there.

He told the court that he understood they would speak again in the context of her seeking his advice.

The woman in Thompson's testimony Tuesday was not one of the two complainants. Her identity, along with the names of the complainants, is protected under a publication ban.

The first complainant previously testified that Thompson groped her while applying sunscreen to her on a dock. The second has alleged Thompson forced himself on her in the middle of the night while she was drunk. 

Thompson's testimony comes after defence lawyer Leora Shemesh asserted the second woman pressured the first to go to police with a specific narrative about what happened that weekend.

On the previous day of trial, Shemesh also pressed the second woman on her statement about how she couldn't remember if she gave Thompson oral sex, saying the word "gave" implied she was an active participant.

"I'm not implying consent in any way, whatsoever, no matter what wording I used," the woman said.

The judge-alone trial is being heard at the Ontario Court of Justice in Barrie.