The preliminary witness within the felony check of placed on maintain Ottawa safety lawyer James Bowie has really affirmed that he “descended into madness” and ended up being “obsessed” with an ex-client that charged him of extortion in late 2022, to the issue of requesting a weapon to “take care” of her.
At that point, court docket listened to Bowie was being checked out by the Law Society of Ontario, which he was the subject of media insurance coverage protection regarding his ex-client Leanne Aubin’s accusations that he offered her his lawful options for foreplay.
Bowie, 41, has really begged innocent to pestering the Crown’s preliminary witness in case and making an attempt to acquire her to amass a weapon for him, together with acquiring Aubin and endangering to eradicate her.
The preliminary witness can’t be acknowledged on account of {a magazine} restriction. A restriction on recognizing Aubin was previously raised at her’s demand.
The check previous to out-of-town Ontario Court Justice Paul Cooper began in September nevertheless rested for simply sooner or later. It wanted to be adjourned to Tuesday on account of issues unassociated to the state of affairs.
Bowie has really previously knowledgeable CBC he anticipates to be acquitted of the prices versus him. (Matthew Kupfer/ CBC)
‘He believed he had dust on me’
Bowie and the preliminary witness have been buddies that fulfilled on-line in 2020 and starting hanging round higher than typical in December 2022. Bowie was concerned in debate, and the witness was having migration issues she desired suggestions round, she affirmed.
In late February 2023 they fulfilled at a bar, the place Bowie repeatedly advisable that they assist every numerous different with their points and “wouldn’t take no for an answer,” she affirmed on trial in principal by aide Crown lawyer Kerry Watson in September.
Bowie offered her money and job below the desk. She decreased because of the truth that she actually didn’t intend to be indebted to him or place herself in danger, she affirmed.
He moreover knowledgeable her he “knows people I can do sex work for.” He claimed he acknowledged she was in danger, which he will surely inform her companion she did intercourse function prior to now — one thing she had really previously trusted to Bowie, the witness affirmed.
“I was the only person left by him, and he thought he had dirt on me with the sex work, that I would comply with what he was asking,” she knowledgeable court docket.
‘She’s bent on receive me’
Bowie knowledgeable the witness he desired a weapon for “someone or himself to take care of [Aubin],” she claimed.
“I need this to be over with. I’m going to lose my life … my licence .. everything. She wants me buried. She’s out to get me. She wants me dead. I need her gone,” the witness affirmed Bowie knowledgeable her regarding Aubin.
The witness was stunned and knowledgeable him she actually didn’t want any kind of part of it. After the convention, she actually felt frightened.
“Up until this point I’ve never seen [Bowie] become unhinged. And seeing someone that I used to personally and professionally respect … become depraved and speaking about wanting to commit a crime, it was a mind f–k to me,” she affirmed.
She give up replying to his telephone calls and messages.
Found monitoring and normal practitioner devices on her automobiles and truck
On April 2, 2023, she claimed she noticed Bowie exterior a grocery retailer, eluded so he couldn’t see her, after that drove to an extra grocery retailer making use of an uncommon path. When she accomplished shopping for on the following space, she as soon as extra noticed Bowie within the automobile park and he knowledgeable her they wanted to speak.
They had a dialogue in her automobiles and truck by which she “pinky promised” to stay in contact to quell him, she affirmed. When she obtained dwelling she noticed him as soon as extra in a close-by church automobile park.
Suspecting he will surely ultimately been monitoring her, she mosted prone to her automobiles and truck and situated a monitoring software inside a wheel nicely. She claimed she texted him and he confessed was his.
Afterward he “constantly” pounded her with messages and dangers to which she actually didn’t react, she affirmed.
Then, on April 17, 2023, she situated an extra normal practitioner software below her automobiles and truck. That very same day a earlier supervisor knowledgeable her someone had really known as requesting data regarding her making use of Bowie’s quantity. Also that day the witness requested her roomie to name an unidentified quantity someone was pestering her with, and listened to Bowie’s voice on the road.
That’s when she broken and “finally” known as the authorities, she knowledgeable court docket.
The Law Society of Ontario, beforehand the Law Society of Upper Canada, has really carried out a number of examinations proper intoBowie (Evan Mitsui/ CBC)
Didn’t assist Bowie, actually didn’t have weapons
Under interrogation by Bowie’s safety lawyer, Eric Granger, on Tuesday, the witness denied pointers that she did drug with Bowie; spoke about or adopted up with methods to carry out monitoring on people that had really made issues regarding him, consisting of Aubin; and maintained a revolver and a semi-automatic weapon in a locker.
She affirmed she had not remained in rehabilitation, and actually didn’t present a detailed pal of Bowie’s a publication regarding assembly and examination methods because of the truth that she doesn’t lend her publications out.
She claimed Bowie elevated the topic of taking his very personal life with a weapon, nevertheless denied Granger’s tip that Bowie simply ever earlier than requested for a weapon in regard to damaging himself. “He’s spoken about a gun on more than one occasion,” she affirmed.
Granger moreover advisable that all through the dialogue in her automobiles and truck on April 2, Bowie claimed one thing like: “Hey look, this is getting crazy, I feel like a crazy person, I’m not sure what’s going on here. Do you want to stop?”
She knowledgeable court docket Bowie by no means ever claimed that.
Cross- evaluation proceededWednesday The witness rejected safety pointers that Bowie had really provided her among the many monitoring devices, which she had really overemphasized Bowie’s harassment to authorities to acquire him removed from her. She moreover affirmed she was inspired Bowie can harm her, which her concern of him proceeds.
Under quick re-examination by the Crown, she affirmed she is adamantly versus medicines and is certain to protect wonderful moral persona for occupational components.
The check proceeds.
