Ron Joyce, co-founder of Tim Hortons, is shown in an Oct.20, 2006 file photo. Joyce faces a civil suit alleging he sexually assaulted his sometime lover four years ago. Joyce claims he's the victim of a "blatant'' extortion attempt.Aaron Harris/The Canadian Press
The billionaire co-founder of Tim Hortons is being sued for allegedly sexually assaulting his sometime lover four years ago.
Ron Joyce claims he is the victim of a "blatant" extortion attempt.
In mid-2011, according to previously unreported court documents, the woman, now 34, spent the night at Mr. Joyce's home in Burlington, Ont., so she could drive him to a doctor's appointment in Barrie, Ont., the following day.
They went to bed separately and she slept alone in the guestroom, the documents say. She alleges she later awoke and Mr. Joyce was sexually assaulting her.
The Toronto woman says she has audio recordings of conversations with him in which he admits to assaulting her, according to her statement of claim.
The claim was filed in May, 2013, and seeks $7.5-million in damages. It alleges the incident left her suffering anxiety attacks and with severe emotional loss.
While both sides agree they continued a relationship afterward, she says in her suit that he subsequently denied the attack and bad-mouthed her to mutual acquaintances.
Mr. Joyce, 84, a member of the Order of Canada and one of the country's richest people, admits going into her room that morning but says it was only to awaken her for his doctor's appointment.
"[She] arose from a deep sleep and immediately started screaming and accusing [Mr. Joyce] of improper advances," according to his statement of defence from October, 2013.
"He did not touch her inappropriately and did not attempt to penetrate her."
Documents say Mr. Joyce, a twice married father of seven who has been divorced for decades, met the woman in 2005 when he was 74 and she 24. They developed a relationship.
"The plaintiff and him engaged in consensual sexual activities but on an 'on-call' type of basis," according to his defence statement.
In any event, he maintains that in May, 2013, she tried to blackmail him by threatening a lawsuit if he didn't help her financially.
According to his defence statement, she threatened to damage his reputation and report the alleged attack to the police – who declined to lay criminal charges.
Neither statement of claim nor defence has been tested in court.