Warning: This story contains details of alleged violence that may be distressing to some readers.
A former Yellowknife city councillor accused of a range of violent offences took the stand in his own defence in NWT Supreme Court on Tuesday.
Robin Williams is facing 14 charges dating to a period between 2014 and 2022. All of the charges involve the same woman. They include assault, assault causing bodily harm, sexual assault, mischief, choking and uttering a threat to cause death.
Williams has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.
On Tuesday, he denied all of the woman’s allegations. In some incidents over which he has been charged, he alleged she was the aggressor or that she injured herself. In others, he asserted no physical violence had occurred.
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The jury trial began last week with the woman testifying about the alleged violent offences. Information that could identify her is protected by a publication ban.
Over the eight-year period, the woman said, Williams had broken one of her fingers, grabbed her hair before smashing her head against a window, dragged her by her hair, threatened to kill her, kicked her, choked her, punched her, slammed a door on her arm, broken her phone and spat on her.
She alleged Williams had sexually assaulted her while she was passed out, and that he later told two people he had “got a little rapey” with her.
Justice David Gates told the jury to disregard the woman’s testimony about an alleged incident where she said Williams had bruised her arms and left marks on her face as there is no corresponding charge.
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On Tuesday, Williams testified about his version of what happened during each of the alleged incidents. He denied ever assaulting the woman or threatening to kill her
In two separate incidents, Williams said the woman had punched herself in the face – giving herself a black eye – and had accidentally broken one of her fingers.
Regarding the incident in which the woman said she had been unconscious, Williams said he had helped her to bed but never sexually assaulted her.
He said he later told a friend it was a “good thing I wasn’t feeling rapey last night.” He said he made the “blue joke” with the intention of indicating that anyone could have taken advantage of the woman in that state, in the hope she would curtail her drinking.
Williams said two other incidents, in which chewing tobacco ended up on the woman’s face and her phone was broken, were accidents.
Williams served as a city councillor for one term from 2018 to 2022 and did not seek re-election in Yellowknife’s October 2022 municipal election. He is currently the owner of an electronics store.
He was first charged in January 2023, while RCMP laid additional charges against him in April 2023.
The trial has been scheduled for a total of 10 days.
