Toronto Councillor Doug Ford, left, speaks with his brother, Mayor Rob Ford during the first portion of the the afternoon council meeting at City Hall on June 13, 2013.Peter Power/The Globe and Mail
The lawyer for a woman alleged to have thrown a drink at Toronto Mayor Rob Ford says she will vigorously defend her client and "a court of law will have the full opportunity to assess Mayor Ford's credibility."
Shannon Everett, 27, is scheduled to appear in court July 23 on an assault charge. She is alleged to thrown the drink at the mayor during the Taste of Little Italy street festival Saturday. The allegation has not been proven.
Marie Henein, her lawyer, issued a statement Tuesday that said her client is a yoga teacher and multimedia developer who has had no prior involvement with police.
"We are surprised by Mayor Ford's decision to comment on the case repeatedly outside the judicial forum. This is most unfortunate," Ms. Henein's statement read.
She concluded the statement by saying neither she nor her client will comment further, since the matter is before the courts.
Mayor Ford discussed the matter during his radio show Sunday.
"There was something in that cup. I tried to take a quick whiff – I don't know if it was rye or vodka or something," the mayor said while laughing, before adding: "It's not funny. That hurt, man. When it hits you in the face, you don't expect it, right?"
The mayor has mentioned having a security detail as a result of the incident, but no decision has been formally announced.
Mayor Ford has previously refused to hire a driver, despite pleas from his brother and police after he was photographed apparently reading while driving on the Gardiner Expressway last summer. At the time, the mayor called a driver a "waste of taxpayers' money."
Councillor Doug Ford, the mayor's brother, has said some of the juice landed in his brother's eyes and stung. He added that he spoke with the accused shortly after the incident and she seemed apologetic, but did not appear to be "in her right mind" at the time.
Ms. Henein previously represented former Ontario attorney-general Michael Bryant when he was charged in the death of a cyclist. The charges against Mr. Bryant were ultimately dropped.
With files from Jill Mahoney