Sexual assault charge against Trailer Park Boys actor Mike Smith dismissed
The Crown offered no evidence after the complainant said she was unwilling to sacrifice her mental health to testify.
DARTMOUTH — A Nova Scotia judge dismissed a sexual assault charge against Trailer Park Boys actor Mike Smith on Thursday after the Crown offered no evidence in the case.
The three-day trial for Smith, known for playing Bubbles on the show, was set to begin in Dartmouth provincial court.
Judge Jill Hartlen dismissed the charge after the defence motioned for dismissal, which was granted.
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Crown prosecutor Bryson McDonald told reporters the Crown determined there was no longer a reasonable prospect of conviction.
"We have to assess it with an ongoing assessment of whether the prosecution standard is met," said McDonald.
Smith’s defence lawyer, Stan MacDonald, said outside the courtroom that his client is "pleased that this matter is now behind him and he's ready to move forward."
The complainant, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, said in a statement that the trial was dismissed "because I am unwilling to sacrifice my mental health" by testifying.
She said evidence in sexual assault cases "hinges almost exclusively on the testimony of the victim."
"This process retraumatizes survivors, subjecting their experiences to dissecting public scrutiny. Meanwhile, the accused seldom speak; they are exempt from the pain of taking the stand, giving testimony, and facing cross-examination," her statement reads.
She said that since the burden of evidence relies heavily on the character of the witness, victims face "character assassination" during cross-examinations.
"I am intimidated by a system, despite it being 2026, where defence attorneys still use tactics that blame victims for surviving and reporting sexual assaults," the statement continues.
"I know what happened that night in 2017. My stepping away from the case does not change the facts of that incident. Rather, it is a gesture of reclaiming my agency after investigating options within a system that strips me of my voice."
McDonald declined to confirm whether the complainant had refused to testify, saying he could not discuss private communications.
"The Crown made the assessment based on our prosecution standard that we felt that the realistic prospect of conviction was no longer there," he said, noting the determination was made this week.
Smith, 54, was charged by Halifax Regional Police in October 2025 with one count of sexual assault in connection with an alleged incident on Dec. 30, 2017, in Dartmouth.
He pleaded not guilty in February.
When asked about how defence lawyers question complainants, Smith's lawyer said, "We do what the law allows us to do within our ethical boundaries."
Trailer Park Boys Incorporated issued a statement saying, "Now that he is cleared of this matter, Mike is resuming his responsibilities with Trailer Park Boys Incorporated."
The company said Smith had previously stepped away from his role as a managing director and that it would provide no further comment.
The complainant concluded her statement by saying she hopes the legal system reflects on her words and implements equality in sexual assault cases, "where both parties bear the burden of truth, rather than placing it solely on the person who has been harmed."
With files from Global News, CBC News and The Globe and Mail