Third woman takes the stand in Ghomeshi trial

Ghomeshi’s lawyer, Marie Henein, said that the witness exchanged 5 000 messages with Lucy DeCoutere, the second accuser in the case between October 2014 and September 2015.

She also testified she is good friends with DeCoutere, another of the complainants in the case, but said that they did not discuss the allegations.

In some of the messages, DeCoutere – who waived a publication ban on her name – urged the woman to use her own lawyer and publicist.

Later she met him again and they engaged in sexual activity but she didn’t tell police or the prosecutor about it until this last Friday.

In the lead-up to the trial, Henein said, the woman would “report in” to DeCoutere after any significant exchange with detectives or the Crown.

He was kissing her neck and she felt his teeth, she said. Shortly after, she said his hands were around her neck. It wasn’t the same person there. Then, she said, he put his hand on her mouth “smothering” her.

“When the group asked how she knew Ghomeshi, the witness said he replied, “‘Oh, we’re engaged'”.

Ghomeshi and the woman went out for dinner after that interaction, and on another night, met in an isolated part of a city park where they began kissing on a bench.

She said as soon as she freed herself from his hold, she left the park without saying a word, got into a cab and went home.

“I got out of the vehicle, slammed the door, told him he was insane, told him to never call me again”, she said.

DeCoutere says in the message: “Guess what, the Toronto cops want your number”. “It didn’t feel safe or sexy”.

“The thing you wanted to tell (police)”, Henein said, “was when you went to that bar on King Street, Mr. Ghomeshi came home with you and then you messed around and gave him a hand job”.

The woman said she sent the emails to Ghomeshi as “bait”, hoping he would contact her so she could demand an explanation for the alleged assaults.

The third and final woman didn’t reach the stand until about 11:30 this morning, that’s because there was a private hearing between the defence and crown after new evidence was brought to police last Friday. The incident set off “warning bells” for the woman and resulted in an argument. “You think… he is being really nice… maybe I misread it. Maybe if I give him another a chance, maybe it will be different”, she said.

“I didn’t want to be the hysterical sister…I thought if I just keep myself out of the line of fire then it’s probably best for everybody”.

The witness eventually reported the incident to Police in December 2014 after spotting similarities in Ghomeshi’s behaviour to other women.

“I realized something’s not right”, she told Ontario Court Judge William Horkins. “It was time to talk”.

The 48-year-old Ghomeshi has pleaded not guilty to four counts of sexual assault, and one count of overcome resistance by choking. He is the former host of “Q”, a popular radio show on culture heard in Canada and on many USA public stations.