Woman tells court of assaults, rapes in trial of former Woodstock mayor Trevor Birtch

WARNING: This story references allegations of sexual assault

A woman testified in a London, Ont., courtroom on Thursday that Trevor Birtch raped her multiple times while the two were in a relationship and he was the mayor of nearby Woodstock. 

The woman described Birtch as a man whose mood would quickly shift to anger that sparked sudden sexual assaults when he didn't get his way. 

"It happened all the time," the 39-year-old woman, who cannot be identified because of a court order, testified. 

Birtch, who was convicted of sexual assault in a separate trial last month, faces three counts of sexual assault in a judge-only trial that started Tuesday. 

Birtch, 49, has pleaded not guilty. All three counts involve the same woman who began her testimony on Thursday afternoon. 

The woman said she knew Birtch through mutual acquaintances years before he was married. She said she later entered a sexual relationship with him in 2017, when he was still married and after her common-law relationship had ended. 

She told the court the relationship took a pause in 2018, the same year Birtch was first elected mayor. The relationship was rekindled in 2019 when the pair met at an outdoor concert taking place near where she lived. 

She described an incident in August 2021 in which Birtch called and asked if she "wanted to go for a ride," which she said typically meant they would drive around and use cocaine, marijuana and drink alcohol.  

The woman described one such drive when Birtch drove "one or two" hours out of Woodstock to an outdoor area she believed to be Turkey Point on Lake Erie. 

She told the court she stopped at a spot with a picnic table where Birtch cooked hot dogs on a small barbecue he'd brought. Another man was there when they arrived who also ate and struck up a conversation with Birtch and the woman, the court heard. 

A disagreement ensued as the discussion moved to homelessness and the Catholic Church. The woman testified that the man, who she referred to as "the stranger," suddenly struck her with a backhand blow. 

"I said something and, the man, he cuffed me right off the table," she told the court. She said after she fell to the ground the stranger held a knife to her eye and choked her.

She told the court Birtch didn't do anything to stop him, and in fact seemed familiar with him and apologized to him that the incident had happened. 

After the man struck her multiple times, she said Birtch told the man, "Don't worry, she's probably going to beat me when I get home." 

"I said, 'You're talking to this guy like he's your friend?'" she told the court. 

Assault happened in car

She said Birtch drove away with her, leaving the stranger behind, but later pulled over and asked her to perform oral sex on him, even though she was bloodied from being struck by the man. She said she complied, fearing that he'd leave her in the isolated area, something she told the court he'd done before.

She testified that Birtch drove her to Ingersoll hospital but after waiting awhile there they decided to go to the emergency room at Woodstock hospital. 

The woman then told the court of rapes and other assaults, sometimes happening in her apartment. 

She described an incident in which Birtch forced her to perform oral sex on him, saying he'd told her she didn't show enough gratitude after he changed some locks in her kitchen. She also said he raped her on her bed.

The woman said she'd struggled with addictions in the past, including prescription medication but was now clean of heavy drinking and hard drugs. 

There were moments during her testimony when she couldn't recall details about the encounters, such as what was said and exact days when the alleged assaults occurred. 

The woman gave testimony in a small room connected to the main courtroom by a video feed. It's an arrangement common in sexual assault cases to allow the testimony to happen with the accused in a separate room.

Her testimony is expected to continue on Friday. 

Support is available for anyone who has been sexually assaulted. You can access crisis lines and local support services through this Government of Canada website or the Ending Violence Association of Canada database. ​​If you're in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911.