Nova Scotia doctor on trial for sexual assault expected to testify

A Nova Scotia doctor accused of sexually assaulting a patient is expected to testify in his own defence when his trial resumes later this week.

The lawyer for Dr. Oluwarotimi (Tim) Fashoranti told the court Tuesday his client will be the last defence witness.

Fashoranti, 64, is accused of sexually assaulting a woman in his walk-in clinic in Springhill, N.S., on July 31, 2020.

Pam Bryan, a woman who worked in Fashoranti's clinic, described the complainant as "poisonous" in testimony Tuesday.

Among her duties, Bryan was supposed to be a chaperone when Fashoranti examined female patients. That condition was imposed by the Nova Scotia College of Physicians and Surgeons following an earlier complaint against the doctor.

Witness testifies about day of alleged assault

Bryan testified that on July 31, 2020, she was tied up with another patient when Fashoranti and the woman went into the examining room and the door locked behind them.

Bryan said the woman came to her home that evening and challenged her as to why she hadn't been in the examining room, where the complainant alleged Fashoranti had groped her breast.

Bryan became emotional during her testimony when she said her teenage son had been bullied by the complainant's son, who reportedly asked why Bryan had allowed the doctor to rape his mother.

Crown accuses witness of hostility

The Crown accused Bryan, who'd been called as a defence witness, as being hostile to the complainant.

Bryan said she felt the complainant was trying to "set up" Fashoranti and so she blocked her on social media.

Another woman testified Tuesday about being approached by the complainant who asked whether she had been assaulted by Fashoranti. The woman told the court she didn't know where that rumour started, but it wasn't true.

The woman also testified that she and the complainant had a confrontation in a drugstore in the summer of 2020 following the alleged sexual assault. The woman said on that occasion, she told the complainant to "F off."

The Crown and defence are expected to make their closing arguments following Fashoranti's evidence.