The Crown has withdrawn an assault charge against a woman accused of throwing a drink at Mayor Rob Ford during a street festival this summer.

The Crown told the court the mayor did not wish to proceed in the case.

Shannon Everett, 27, also agreed to donate $500 to CAMH, the charity of her choice.

“I’m just glad it’s over, and can put this behind me,” she said on the steps outside the courthouse.

“As I’m sure many people can imagine, being accused of a crime by the mayor of this city has been an awful experience.”

Everett denies throwing her drink at the mayor and repeated that she was not intoxicated or suffering from a mental illness that afternoon at the Taste of Little Italy festival.

Councillor Doug Ford had said to reporters that Everett “didn’t seem like she was in her right mind at the time.”

“The truth is I have never and would never throw a drink in anyone’s face, even Mayor Ford,” said Everett, who works at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, developing educational tools for professors.

A drink — organic peach tea sweetened with maple syrup — was tossed, but in an empty area where there were no people, said Everett’s lawyer, Marie Henein.

Witnesses say Ford was with his entourage taking photos with people when the drink was thrown. Ford and one of his staffers chased after Everett for a short distance, one witness told the Star.

Henein said she regrets losing the chance to test the credibility of the witnesses in the case — including Mayor Ford — but that “it’s a very good day for Shannon and I’m pleased for her.”

Among the many things that could have helped their case is a video showing a reportedly slurring Mayor Ford at the Taste of the Danforth festival, Henein said.

Requests to the mayor and Councillor Ford for comment were not returned.

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