After a slow start, the Mandi Gray trial is underway, one year since the alleged sexual assault by Mustafa Ururyar took place.
While the trial was set to begin on Monday at 10 a.m., after a short in-camera session, the court was dismissed due to a rumour of a lawyer’s family emergency. Court resumed at 2 p.m., but was closed to the public while the application was being accepted by Judge Zuker.
At 4 p.m., the court doors opened for Gray’s testimony, at which she was sworn in. A clearly nervous Gray spoke of her brief relationship with Ururyar.
The two reportedly met on January 16, 2015, at a CUPE meeting, in which the defence attorney confirmed smiles and flirtatious looks were exchanged.
The alleged assault took place two weeks after their first meeting, on the night of January 30 into the early hours of January 31.
The defence team’s apparent strategy continues to be questioning Gray’s credibility, re-questioning her drinking habits, and re-examining her statements and meetings with Detective Barry in February of 2015.
While Gray started her second day in court confident albeit uncomfortable, her demeanor changed after a break for lunch. An unclear line of questioning consisting of assumptions and misinterpretations to which Gray often had to disagree with and correct, taking her glasses off and running her fingers through her hair.
The plaintiff lawyer’s questioning from the previous day established a timeline to which Gray claims, after a social night of drinking in two different bars, she asked the defendant to spend the night at his place, to which he agreed.
After last call, Gray, Ururyar, and a third mutual friend went searching for food, and after reportedly finding everything was closed, the third friend took a cab home. Gray claims it was at this point that Ururyar became aggressive in his tone and began verbally harassing her, allegedly calling her a “drunken slut” and an “embarrassment.”
The alleged assault took place in Ururyar’s apartment, which Gray estimated was a 20 to 30 minute walk away from the bars.
The plaintiff lawyer’s questioning skimmed over a pivotal part of Gray and Ururyar’s relationship, which the defence took to their advantage. Ururyar reportedly had a girlfriend at the time of the assault, to which Gray understood was an open relationship, and described her relationship with Ururyar to police officers as a “physical” one.
The defence suggested that on the night of January 31, Ururyar broke off his relationship with Gray. After she began crying, Ururyar reportedly consoled her physically, at which point Gray began to make sexual advances. Gray disagreed with this suggestion.
Earlier in the night of the alleged assault, Gray had invited Ururyar to join her at a bar with a text message, read in court, “Come to Victory [Cafe], and we can have hot sex.”
For roughly 30 minutes, Ururyar’s lawyers read aloud text message exchanges between Gray and Ururyar before the alleged assault. An uncomfortable Ururyar rested his face against his hand while his lawyer read the messages, with Gray confirming the statements.
“It wasn’t just Mr. Ururyar who wanted to see you everyday, is that correct?” and “May I suggest that the reason you felt uncomfortable by Mr. Ururyar’s suggestions is because you were jealous?” were some of the cringeworthy questions asked to a distressed Gray.
The crowd was quick to judge the defence lawyer as she accidentally forgot to provide the plaintiff lawyer a copy of an exhibit that showed the final text messages sent between Ururyar and Gray.
Gray did not see the last message Ururyar sent until the screenshot was shown on Tuesday, as she had changed her phone number after the alleged assault and the message never went through.
In the text message dated February 5, 2015, Ururyar allegedly apologized for his behaviour, explaining he was upset.
It is not yet clear whether Ururyar will testify. The trail continues on Thursday at Old City Hall and is open to the public.
Victoria Goldberg, Executive Editor – Online
Featured image by Victoria Goldberg
