A London courtroom heard on Monday that Murray MacDonald, 68, was a biology teacher and swimming coach at Central Second School in London between 1985 and June 1986. Currently retired, he’s facing a charge of sexual assault involving a former student and swim team member. The female complainant who cannot be identified is now in her mid-50s. When testifying she told the court that when she was in grade 11 she went to The Bavarian, a one-time bar in Cherryhill Mall on Oxford Street West. She said she got in using fake ID and that once there she ran into MacDonald. “I remember him buying drinks...more than one drink,” she said. “I had no interest in this person, we had no relationship.” She said near the end of the night, MacDonald offered to drive her home and when they got to her apartment building she said, “He drove me to the far left end of the parking lot and it was pretty dark.” While fighting back tears on the stand she said, “All of a sudden he was all over me, hands up my shirt and hands down my pants...I remember feeling frozen.” She then said she was forced to perform a sexual act. “It just seemed it was over very quickly...I got out of the car as fast as possible... I went to the bathroom and made myself throw up.” The woman who was on a fast track to complete high school said the alleged incident changed her life. “I just remember being terrified...I knew I couldn’t tell my parents, I couldn’t tell the school...I’m going to be blamed and marked,” she added. “My life just fell apart. I never swam again, I never did anything again.” The woman said she transferred to other high schools before attending university but that the night would always haunt her. “It didn’t go away so I had to address it finally...I didn’t want to be a victim.” Then years later while living in another city she looked MacDonald up on the College of Teachers registry and in 2024 she contacted police. “I just wanted him to turn in his licence and I want him to apologize to me because I lost about a decade of my life.” Seated next to his defence lawyer Lakin Afolabi, MacDonald has plead not guilty to sexual assault. The court has heard that the female complainant is expected to be the only witness to be called by the Crown. The trial resumes on Tuesday.
