Less than a week before he was set to appear in court for the first time for charges of assault and sexual assault, Woodstock’s embattled mayor now finds himself facing additional sexual assault allegations.
At least one of the new charges stems from a sexual assault alleged to have occurred earlier this month, court documents obtained by Global News show.
London police announced Tuesday that Trevor Birtch, 47, had been charged with three additional counts of sexual assault. Birtch is currently on a paid leave of absence from Woodstock council in the wake of three criminal charges laid against him in February, including two of sexual assault.
According to the court documents, the three new counts involve one female complainant who police say is known to Birtch. The individual is not the same complainant named in Birtch’s three previous charges.
The new allegations date to Aug. 15, 2021; April 5, 2022; and sometime between Jan. 1, 2017 and April 5, 2022, the court documents say.
Birtch was arrested by London police on April 14 and was released with an undertaking the same day. The three counts were officially sworn in on Tuesday. Birtch is scheduled to appear in court on July 4.
Included in the terms of the undertaking is that Birtch must not communicate with the complainant, and must not go within 50 metres of a downtown Woodstock address.
Birtch now faces a total of six counts in two separate cases.
Birtch was initially charged on Feb. 2 with one count of assault and two counts of sexual assault in connection with allegations dating from 2021 involving the same female complainant, court documents said.
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In that case, Birtch is accused of sexually assaulting the complainant on Valentine’s Day 2021, and is accused of assaulting her sometime between June 1 and Sept. 30, according to the documents.
He is also accused of having sexually assaulted the complainant with choking sometime between Dec. 10 and 13.
Birtch was arrested and released by police with an undertaking on the same day. The terms of the undertaking stipulated the Birtch must not communicate with the complainant and two others, or be within 100 metres of where they live, work, or go to school.
He is also barred from possessing any firearms or weapons, and had to turn over all firearms in his possession to London police when he was released.
In late February, Birtch took a leave from council, handing over his mayoral duties to Coun. Connie Lauder until further notice.
Last week, Woodstock city council voted unanimously in support of a motion to have Birtch take a paid leave of absence amid his charges.
Under the province’s Municipal Act, an elected member can be absent from council meetings for no more than three successive months without being authorized to do so by resolution of council, said to Woodstock’s chief administrative officer, David Creery.
Absence for longer than three months without a council resolution granting an extension results in the seat being deemed vacant, he said via email.
“The resolution by City Council last week provides permission to be absent from meetings until the court proceedings are concluded or the end of the term of council,” said Creery.
“Mayor Birtch remains an elected member of Council and can attend any meeting of Council unless he becomes disqualified pursuant to the items listed in section 259 of the Municipal Act.”
Birtch has also been sidelined on the Woodstock Police Services Board, which has requested that the Ontario Civilian Police Commission investigate whether he violated the code of conduct for board members set out under the Police Services Act.
Birtch also sits on Oxford County council alongside two other Woodstock councillors, and attended a meeting in late March, according to the London Free Press.
Under the province’s municipal act, there is no requirement for an elected official accused or convicted of a crime to step down from service. Only when an official is sentenced to jail time does it disqualify them from serving.
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