The complainant in the trial of two former University of Ottawa hockey players charged with sexual assault began her testimony on Thursday.  

Guillaume Donovan and David Foucher are charged in connection with an incident at a hotel in Thunder Bay, Ont., in 2014.

The University of Ottawa Gee-Gees were in the northern Ontario city in 2014 to play a game against the Lakehead University Thunderwolves. 

The complainant’s identity is protected by a publication ban, which also prevents CBC from reporting details which may identify her. Those include the identities of some of the other witnesses.

Complainant met Gee-Gees player in local bar

The woman said the Saturday evening in question began with getting together with some friends, having some drinks, and heading off to a local bar.

She told court she had been in contact with a Gee-Gees player on the Tinder dating app after the two had both “liked” each other’s pictures. They chatted about meeting at the bar and he told her the team was planning to go there after their game.

The woman had a drink at the bar, recognized the player from his photos, and waved, she told court. She then went to the washroom with a friend, took a picture, danced, and spent most of her time in the bar with the player she’d met on Tinder.

Crown Marc Huneault asked her about the effects of the alcohol she’d consumed.

She said she was “coherent” but “not all there,” and that she was able to walk and talk. She said she’d also been cut off from getting more drinks from the bar.

Gee-Gees captain ‘belligerent’ and ‘foolish’

The complainant said she and the player she met on Tinder decided to leave the bar around last call at 2 a.m. She said they encountered another Gee-Gees player on the sidewalk, and that he was introduced to her as the team’s captain.

She described the captain as big, with red hair and a French accent, adding she made a comment to him about his accent at the time.

He was wandering on the sidewalk acting “belligerent” and “foolish” and likely had been drinking, she told court.

She and the player she met on Tinder got into a cab from the bar to go to his hotel, she said.

Attempt to help passed-out player

The woman said when they got to a hotel, they ran into a group of Gee-Gees players who were laughing and trying to help a teammate who had passed out at the bottom of the hotel stairs next to the elevator.

She and the player she was with tried to join in and help. They got the player into the elevator, but he was still not responsive when they reached his floor.

A security guard told them he was calling an ambulance to deal with the passed-out player, she said.

The woman says she and the player she met on Tinder eventually made it to his hotel room.

First witness’s testimony concludes

The testimony of the trial’s first witness, a fellow player on the hockey team and Donovan’s roommate during the trip to Thunder Bay, finished his testimony on Thursday morning. 

CBC reporter Matthew Kupfer is covering the trial in Thunder Bay. Follow along with his live tweets here.