The primary witness within the prison trial of suspended Ottawa defence lawyer James Bowie has testified that he “descended into insanity” and have become “obsessed” with an ex-client who accused him of extortion in late 2022, to the purpose of asking for a gun to “take care” of her.
At that time, courtroom heard Bowie was being investigated by the Legislation Society of Ontario, and that he was the topic of media protection about his ex-client Leanne Aubin’s allegations that he provided her his authorized providers in trade for oral {sex}.
Bowie, 41, has pleaded not responsible to harassing the Crown’s first witness within the case and attempting to get her to acquire a firearm for him, in addition to extorting Aubin and threatening to kill her.
The primary witness can’t be recognized because of a publication ban. A ban on figuring out Aubin was beforehand lifted at her’s request.
The trial earlier than out-of-town Ontario Court docket Justice Paul Cooper started in September however sat for less than in the future. It needed to be adjourned to Tuesday due to points unrelated to the case.
Bowie has beforehand instructed CBC he expects to be acquitted of the fees towards him. (Matthew Kupfer/CBC)
‘He thought he had dust on me’
Bowie and the primary witness had been associates who met on-line in 2020 and beginning hanging out greater than regular in December 2022. Bowie was embroiled in controversy, and the witness was having immigration points she needed recommendation about, she testified.
In late February 2023 they met at a bar, the place Bowie repeatedly recommended that they assist one another with their issues and “would not take no for a solution,” she testified beneath examination in chief by assistant Crown legal professional Kerry Watson in September.
Bowie provided her cash and work beneath the desk. She declined as a result of she did not wish to be indebted to him or put herself in jeopardy, she testified.
He additionally instructed her he “is aware of individuals I can do {sex} work for.” He mentioned he knew she was weak, and that he would inform her boyfriend she did {sex} work up to now — one thing she’d beforehand confided to Bowie, the witness testified.
“I used to be the one particular person left by him, and he thought he had dust on me with the {sex} work, that I’d adjust to what he was asking,” she instructed courtroom.
‘She’s out to get me’
Bowie instructed the witness he needed a gun for “somebody or himself to handle [Aubin],” she mentioned.
“I want this to be over with. I’ll lose my life … my licence .. all the things. She needs me buried. She’s out to get me. She needs me deceased. I want her gone,” the witness testified Bowie instructed her about Aubin.
The witness was shocked and instructed him she did not need any a part of it. After the assembly, she felt scared.
“Up till this level I’ve by no means seen [Bowie] turn out to be unhinged. And seeing somebody that I used to personally and professionally respect … turn out to be wicked and talking about eager to commit a criminal offense, it was a thoughts f–k to me,” she testified.
She stopped responding to his calls and messages.
Discovered monitoring and GPS gadgets on her automotive
On April 2, 2023, she mentioned she noticed Bowie exterior a grocery store, ducked so he could not see her, then drove to a different grocery store utilizing an unconventional route. When she completed buying on the subsequent location, she as soon as once more noticed Bowie within the parking zone and he instructed her they needed to speak.
That they had a dialog in her automotive during which she “pinky promised” to remain in contact to appease him, she testified. When she bought residence she noticed him once more in a close-by church parking zone.
Suspecting he’d in some way been monitoring her, she went to her automotive and located a monitoring gadget inside a wheel nicely. She mentioned she texted him and he admitted it was his.
Afterward he “continually” bombarded her with texts and threats to which she did not reply, she testified.
Then, on April 17, 2023, she discovered one other GPS gadget beneath her automotive. That very same day a former boss instructed her somebody had known as asking for details about her utilizing Bowie’s quantity. Additionally that day the witness requested her roommate to name an unknown quantity somebody was harassing her with, and heard Bowie’s voice on the road.
That is when she broke and “lastly” known as the police, she instructed courtroom.
The Legislation Society of Ontario, previously the Legislation Society of Higher Canada, has performed a number of investigations into Bowie. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)
Did not assist Bowie, did not have weapons
Underneath cross-examination by Bowie’s defence lawyer, Eric Granger, on Tuesday, the witness rejected options that she did cocaine with Bowie; talked about or adopted by with plans to conduct surveillance on individuals who had made complaints about him, together with Aubin; and saved a revolver and a semi-automatic firearm in a storage locker.
She testified she hadn’t been in rehab, and did not lend a good friend of Bowie’s a ebook about interview and interrogation strategies as a result of she would not mortgage her books out.
She mentioned Bowie raised the subject of taking his personal life with a gun, however rejected Granger’s suggestion that Bowie solely ever requested for a gun in relation to harming himself. “He is spoken a few gun on multiple event,” she testified.
Granger additionally recommended that in the course of the dialog in her automotive on April 2, Bowie mentioned one thing like: “Hey look, that is getting loopy, I really feel like a loopy particular person, I am unsure what is going on on right here. Do you wish to cease?”
She instructed courtroom Bowie by no means mentioned that.
Cross-examination continued Wednesday. The witness denied defence options that Bowie had given her one of many monitoring gadgets, and that she had exaggerated Bowie’s harassment to police to get him away from her. She additionally testified she was satisfied Bowie might hurt her, and that her concern of him continues.
Underneath temporary re-examination by the Crown, she testified she is adamantly towards medication and is obligated to take care of good ethical character for work-related causes.
The trial continues.
