ottawa lawyer james bowie found guilty of criminal harassment

embattled ex-lawyer james bowie maintained his innocence after he was found “guilty as charged” of criminal harassment, uttering threats and extorting a friend by pressuring her to acquire a gun to “take care” of a former client.

the crown formally withdrew one charge of extortion related to an alleged proposition of legal services in exchange for sexual favours with bowie’s former client, leanne aubin.

the remaining four counts included one count of criminal harassment, one count of extortion and two counts of uttering threats related to a former friend of bowie’s, who testified as the crown’s opening witness at his trial.

the woman’s identity is shielded by a publication ban. a similar ban on aubin’s identity was lifted at her request earlier in the proceedings.

ontario court justice paul cooper said on march 18 the crown had established bowie’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt on all four charges.

bowie sat expressionless in court as the judge read his decision on tuesday, occasionally holding a balled fist to his chin.

bowie expressed his shock over the judge’s decision in an exclusive sit-down interview with the ottawa citizen moments after the three-hour verdict was read.

“it’s an unexpected result,” bowie said. “particularly because, when asked if i had committed the offence (of extortion in the alleged sex-for-services proposition), leanne aubin testified and she said, ‘no.’ that was her evidence.

“on that basis, the crown withdrew that charge,” bowie said. “somehow, justice cooper found that i did the thing (alleged in the charge) that the crown already withdrew. and he disbelieved all of my evidence.”

in his decision on tuesday, cooper said bowie was an “inconsistent” witness when he testified in his own defence. the judge said he found aubin to be a credible and reliable witness.

cooper said “minor inconsistencies” in her testimony regarding the sex-for-services “deal” were “not material” to his decision after he considered the entirety of the evidence.

despite the crown withdrawing that extortion charge after aubin had completed her testimony, cooper said he nonetheless concluded “with certainty that mr. bowie created a payment plan that had a default clause for late payments … this would cause him to utilize his retainer as a means of sexual exploitation of a client.”

the judge read aloud several text messages between aubin and bowie in 2023, including exchanges where bowie told her: “i’m talking about our deal,” and “i’m propositioning you.”

the texts also “indicate ms. aubin’s resistance to the proposition,” cooper said.

the judge also found bowie’s former friend to be a credible witness when she testified about bowie’s “unhinged” behaviour and his efforts to enlist her help to acquire a gun.

the woman testified that she met bowie on a dating app in 2020 and maintained a friendship while bowie was facing aubin’s extortion allegations.

bowie’s friend watched him “descend into madness” in late 2022 and early 2023, she testified.

she said bowie mentioned guns to her at times in the context of suicide, but at other times he said he needed aubin to “go away.”

bowie became increasingly “unhinged,” cooper said, after media reports surfaced about aubin’s complaint to the law society of ontario, the regulatory agency’s investigation and bowie’s subsequent suspension from practising law.

“as he became unhinged, this caused him to be desperate because he thought (his former friend) was the only one left in his life that could help him,” cooper said.

cooper identified a troubling “pattern of conduct” that included following the woman when she began to distance herself from bowie, tracking her vehicle with a gps device, threatening her and causing her “real fear.”

“she was harassed, and she had genuine fear,” cooper said.

“he threatened (her) and he knew what buttons to push to cause fear in her … he menaced and persisted. he wanted that gun,” cooper said. “he wasn’t going to let her ‘ghost’ him. he followed her, he tracked her, he met with her (in a grocery store parking lot) and reminded her by ratcheting up the threats to induce her to get a gun.”

outside the courtroom following the decision, bowie repeated his denial of all charges and said he had never threatened anyone.

he claimed there were “a number of fabrications” in the testimony of both witnesses.

“i never threatened to kill anyone, ever, or have anyone help having anyone killed on my behalf, nor would i ever do so,” bowie said in the interview.

bowie, the judge said in his decision, “sadly, fell folly to his own actions.”

“he believed he was untouchable. his admitted sexual advances (to aubin) were not warranted or invited, but squarely part of his decision to prey upon a vulnerable victim in the hopes of self-gratification.”

bowie was “losing his position of power and control,” cooper said. “he did become unhinged and he desperately entered into conduct designed to regain, at all costs, the life that he knew…

“he attempted to manipulate (his friend) and bring her into his own madness … to obtain someone to kill ms. aubin or to obtain a gun.

“mr. bowie wanted ms. aubin dead. he wanted access to a firearm or someone who could help him end ms. aubin,” cooper concluded.

“he criminally harassed (his friend) and extorted her in his quest. he threatened leanne aubin’s death and conveyed that to (his friend).”

the court is expected to reconvene april 1 to set a date for sentencing.

ahelmer@postmedia.com

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