The preliminary witness within the felony take a look at of placed on maintain Ottawa safety legal professional James Bowie has truly 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, courtroom 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 truly 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 remove her.
The preliminary witness cannot be acknowledged on account of {a magazine} restriction. A restriction on recognizing Aubin was previously raised at her’s demand.
The take a look at previous to out-of-town Ontario Court Justice Paul Cooper began in September nonetheless rested for simply in the future. It wanted to be adjourned to Tuesday on account of issues unassociated to the state of affairs.
Bowie has truly 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 larger 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 support 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 attributable to 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 accomplice she did intercourse function up to now — one thing she had truly 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 courtroom.
‘She’s bent on acquire 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 sort of element 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 stop replying to his cellphone calls and messages.
Found monitoring and basic practitioner devices on her vehicles 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 talk.
They had a dialogue in her vehicles and truck by which she “pinky promised” to stay in contact to quell him, she affirmed. When she obtained residence she noticed him as soon as extra in a close-by church automobile park.
Suspecting he will surely not directly been monitoring her, she mosted more likely to her vehicles and truck and positioned a monitoring device inside a wheel properly. 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 positioned an extra basic practitioner device below her vehicles and truck. That very same day a earlier supervisor knowledgeable her someone had truly 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 courtroom.
The Law Society of Ontario, beforehand the Law Society of Upper Canada, has truly carried out a number of examinations proper intoBowie (Evan Mitsui/ CBC)
Didn’t support Bowie, actually didn’t have weapons
Under interrogation by Bowie’s safety legal professional, 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 truly 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 buddy of Bowie’s a publication regarding assembly and examination methods attributable to 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, nonetheless 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 vehicles 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 courtroom Bowie by no means ever claimed that.
Cross- evaluation proceededWednesday The witness rejected safety pointers that Bowie had truly provided her among the many monitoring devices, which she had truly 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 glorious moral character for occupational components.
The take a look at proceeds.
