By Patrick Burles - @Patrick Burles on Twitter

A Dramatic Day in Court for Woman Convicted of Mortgage Fraud

Aug 18, 2016 | 12:52 PM

LETHBRIDGE – It was a day of delays and drama at the Lethbridge courthouse, in the mortgage fraud case of Adina Barbour.

Barbour started the day by showing up over an hour late for court. Then as the judge entered the courtroom and sat down, Barbour fell to the floor, lying motionless for several moments. After being cleared by paramedics, Barbour’s lawyer stated that they were fine to continue and that the reason for her showing up late was because she was ill.

While her lawyer outlined his mistrial application for the court, Barbour suddenly stood up and left the courtroom without a word, causing another break. The proceedings again resumed when Barbour returned, however as she doubled over in her chair, Justice R. Jerke decided to adjourn the case for a couple of hours, giving Barbour time to collect herself.

After hearing more arguments in the afternoon, Justice Jerke dismissed the application and the proceedings moved directly to sentencing.

Crown Prosecutor, Steven Johnston, suggested nine years in prison, saying Barbour’s actions are part of a bigger issue that is undermining the mortgage industry. He stated that she was completely motivated by greed, adding, “This was a business that was run callously, with little to no regard for who might get run over in the process.”

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Barbour’s lawyer asked for two to four years in custody for his client, saying she is roughly $200,000 in debt and is the primary care-giver to her 8-year old child. He added that she has no past criminal record and has faced five years of condemnation from the community since being charged.

The day concluded with Justice Jerke noting that he intends to deliver his reasons for dismissing the mistrial application and a sentencing decision Friday (Aug 19) at 2 p.m.

Barbour was convicted of fraud and uttering a forged document last year, after being charged in 2010. She applied for mortgages under the names of friends, family and co-workers, and managed to bring in more than $2.8-million.

The case had been marked by years of delays, with Barbour going through five lawyers before finally being forced to represent herself at trial.