Suspended Ottawa lawyer found guilty of criminal harassment, extortion

James Bowie, a suspended Ottawa lawyer, was convicted Tuesday of criminal harassment, uttering threats and extortion. CTV’s Katie Griffin reports.

Suspended Ottawa lawyer James Bowie threatened to kill a former client who went public with misconduct allegations against him and harassed a former friend while pressuring her to get him a gun to “end” the former client, a judge ruled Tuesday morning.

Justice Paul Cooper found Bowie guilty of all charges against him: criminal harassment, extortion and two counts of uttering threats.

“I find Mr. Bowie sadly fell folly to his own actions. He believed he was untouchable,” Cooper told the court.

Bowie declined comment to CTV after the verdict was read.

His lawyer Eric Granger said he wouldn’t comment at this time as sentencing had not been completed.

CTV News first reported misconduct allegations against Bowie in 2022.

His former client Leanne Aubin alleged publicly and to the Law Society of Ontario that Bowie had offered her legal services in exchange for oral sex.

An extortion charge related to those allegations was withdrawn. However, Cooper said he “concluded with certainty that Mr. Bowie created a payment plan that had a default clause for a late payment. This would cause him to utilize his retainer as a means of sexual exploitation of a client for late payment.”

He cited messages entered as evidence between Aubin and Bowie to support the deal’s existence including one exchange where Bowie told her “I’m talking about our deal” and “I’m propositioning you.”

Bowie believed the friend had evidence that could help clear his name relating to the allegations brought by Aubin to the law society.

Court heard Bowie asked the friend to source a firearm and requested her help to “get rid of the Leanne Aubin problem.”

She stopped responding to his many messages.

Bowie admitted to placing GPS trackers on the friend’s vehicle and followed her to grocery stores and her home.

Bowie told the woman that since she hadn’t gone to police, she’s an accessory and if she were to report him, she wouldn’t be believed and could be deported.

“He knew what buttons to push to cause fear in her. She tried to be independent as much as possible, yet he menaced and persisted,” Cooper said.

“He wanted that gun. He wasn’t going to let her ghost him. He followed her, he tracked her and he met with her and he reminded her by ratcheting up the threats to induce her to get him a gun.”

Court heard Bowie made her “pinky promise” that she would not abandon him.

“He believed he was untouchable,” said Cooper. “He was losing the power and the control he was accustomed to. He did become unhinged and desperately entered into conduct designed at all costs to regain his ability to resume the life as he knew.”

Cooper said he saw this behaviour for himself when Bowie took the stand and testified in his own defence.

“I saw him attempt to have control while testifying,” Cooper said. “He tried to comment on the credibility of others and even moved very close to the microphone in a response to a question from the Crown and whispered ‘I am not crazy.’”

At trial, Bowie’s lawyer argued his behaviour was “unflattering” but not criminal.

The judge disagreed.

Cooper said he found some of Bowie’s evidence “inconsistent and untruthful.” He added he found Aubin and the former friend to be credible and reliable witnesses.

After the verdict was read, lawyers representing Aubin said they were relieved.

“We’re just thrilled,” said Emilie Taman. “We just got off the phone with Leanne and this has been a really long and difficult journey for her, lot of ups and downs along the way.”

She commended Leanne and the friend.

“We were really proud of her for having the courage to come forward and that because of her courage Mr. Bowie is being held accountable for his gross misconduct,” Taman said.

“It is not easy to be a complainant in a criminal proceeding. We represent a lot of women in proceedings like this and more often than not we don’t have days like this.”