Complainant testifies in sexual assault trial involving former Woodstock mayor

Day two in the second trial of former Woodstock Mayor Trevor Birtch got underway Thursday as Assistant Crown Jennifer Moser continued examination of a female ex-friend of Birtch.

Moser focused on audio and text messages between the woman and Birtch, in which Moser believes Birtch confessed to unwanted sexual intercourse.

During the cross examination, defence lawyer James Battin questioned the woman’s motives saying, “You developed a pattern of interrogating Mr. Birtch by talking only in media forms that you wanted him to talk in, you became a private investigator in a sense.”

He continued, “At some point you didn’t like his romantic relations with other ladies and that’s when you turned against him,”

The woman denied the allegation saying “I encouraged him to have various relations with people… but I didn’t want him to hurt people.”

Moser began her examination of the complainant inside the closed circuit television suite at the London Courthouse.

The complainant began by explaining how she knew Birtch when she was in her late teens. At the time, they were each married to other people and attended the same church.

Years later in 2017, the complainant said she reconnected with Birtch, forming some sort of relationship that would span six years, at this time, he was mayor of Woodstock.

During this time, the complainant recalled smoking weed, doing cocaine and drinking together on several occasions.

Moser asked the complainant about the first incident, in which Birtch is facing a sexual assault charge, referring to it as “Turkey Point.”

The complainant went into detail about being driven to a location near Turkey Point. She said they had both been drinking and “getting high” that afternoon, adding that she was also on anti-depressants and anxiety medication.

She recalled an incident involving a random man they met who joined them for a barbecue picnic. After an argument with this man, she said he knocked her to the ground and began kicking her, while Birtch watched.

“He was watching the whole time…and he’s on the police board,” she recalled thinking as she said she was being beaten by the stranger.

The complainant would eventually get into Birtch’s car and they left together.

“He pulls over to a grassy area…he gets in front of me… unzips his pants,” She said she pushed him away.

“I was scared he would leave me there, because he’s left me before in dangerous situations,” she added.

The complainant went to the hospital that day to be treated for the injuries she sustained from being beaten by the random stranger but when asked if she reported being sexually assaulted by Birtch, she said “no.”

During her testimony, she recalled a number of times where she alleged Birtch raped her.

“I felt so guilty for so long because I didn’t yell out the word ‘no’. And I know now that a lot of women will just freeze,” she continued. “He turned me over and he just did non consensual intercourse.”

The judge-alone trial resumes Friday.

Last month, 49-year-old Birtch was found guilty on two separate charges of assault and sexual assault involving another woman. He will be sentenced for those charges on Sept. 10.