Christopher Rabideau, Victim Of Gay Bashing In Windsor Ontario, Testifies He Thought Two Attackers Were Going To Kill Him

In Windsor, Ontario, Christopher Rabideau told a court Monday that he thought his assailants would kill him the night he was robbed and assaulted last year, when his attackers repeatedly used homophobic slurs against him. "I was scared," Rabideau testified about why he eventually gave his attackers, who had already beaten him and taken his wallet and his banking PIN number. "I was afraid they were going to kill me." The Windsor Star reports that in fact, Rabideau said the co-accused Stephen Lambert and Michael Allard threatened to kill him a number of times, and used such terms as "homo" and "faggot" -not to mention their fists and feet -to reinforce their point. CIBC banking records show that after an unsuccessful attempt to withdraw money early May 21, 2010, the date of the incident, $1,000 was deposited with what turned out to be an empty envelope. Then $500 was withdrawn followed by another $160, though Rabideau said he did not take out the money nor did he give anyone permission to do so. Rabideau, who is openly gay, described how he at first felt comfortable responding to the two strangers -who approached him while he was walking home along Ouellette Avenue after visiting a friend. "As I walked down Ouellette a gentleman asked me if I had any cigarettes or if I smoked," the 27-year-old social-justice activist said on his first day on the stand of the double robbery and-assault trial, "I said no." But the two strangers, who Rabideau identified in court as Lambert and Allard, persisted. He said that Lambert told him he was bisexual. "I let my guard down," Rabideau said. "I thought it would be OK to talk to these gentlemen." Soon, however, he realized he misjudged the situation and decided to part ways through the parking lot of convenience store. "I got struck in the back of the head," he told the court, under questioning from assistant Crown attorney Roger Dietrich, and briefly lost consciousness. "I went down. I tried to stand up. I got struck again." Rabideau said Lambert and Allard took his wallet, threatening to kill him if he said anything. Allard allegedly stood over him while Lambert went into the convenience store to withdraw cash. But they were unsuccessful because Rabideau originally gave them the wrong PIN number. "Mr. Lambert returned and was very upset that they could not receive any money from my account," said Rabideau, recalling how his assailants pulled him up and told him they were taking him to a bank. "They pulled and pushed and dragged me down” the street. Shortly before 2:00 am, as the group approached the apartment building where Rabideau lived, he attempted to break free from his attackers, running into the vestibule of Ouellette Towers, fumbling with his keys, unable to unlock the door before he was choked by Lambert, who followed closely behind. Rabideau gasped and covered his mouth on the witness stand when he saw security camera video replaying the assault -as Allard sauntered in, knocked him to the ground, and punched, kicked and stomped on his head. He recalled how he told the muggers that they were on camera, and that they then left, leaving him to crawl into his building. He phoned a friend before collapsing to the floor and being taken to the hospital. Rabideau is scheduled to continue testifying Tuesday before Superior Court Justice Scott Campbell.