Former mayor hopeful Saron Gebresellassi is in more hot water after former client Kimberly Brenda Woolman has accused the former of fraud, practising without a license, breach of trust and claiming $35,000 in general damages.
"I am seeking $35,000 in total damages from Ms. Gebresellassi," reads Woolman's notice of claims. "I am seeking relief for the harms, abuses and damages Ms. Gebresellassi has inflicted upon me and the impact her actions have had and will continue to have on me."
On Jan. 7, the court found that Gebresllassi owes Woolman a sum of $6.350.000, a service fee of $16.57 and interest in the amount of $659.33, calculated under the Court Interest Act from from December 13, 2022 to the date of judgement. The total is $7,025.90. Gebresellassi is also ordered to pay Woolman $5,000 for punitive damages, for a total sum of $12,025.90.
A summons for payment hearing was on Jan. 23, with the payment hearing set for Feb. 27.
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In the notice of claims filed through the Provincial Court of British Columbia Small Claims Court, Woolman, 61, states she was in immediate need of a criminal trial lawyer for her case on Dec. 15 and Dec. 22, 2022. Woolman was self-representing stating she needed a lawyer to hear her voice in court because "I was not being heard by the judge."
The notice of claim was filed on Sep. 9, 2024 and amended on Sep. 27, 2024.
Woolman was in criminal court charged with assault and causing a disturbance after she coughed on employees in the Campbell River Safe-on-Foods location during the COVID-19 Pandemic in April 2020 (she was found guilty in 2023, but the conviction was overturned in February 2024.)
A friend recommended Gebresellassi to Woolman and told her Gebresellassi was licensed to practice law in Ontario and British Columbia.
"I hired Ms. Gebresellassi to do one thing only; question the witnesses using questions I had prepared," states Woolman in the Notice of Claim. "I first spoke with Ms. Gebresellassi on Dec. 13, 2022. Ms. Gebresllassi stated she was in Vancouver, BC and required money from me to fly to Campbell River, BC. I did not send her any money yet shortly after that call, Ms. Gebreselassi called me and said she was in Campbell River, BC."
Gabresellassi, a lawyer based in Toronto at the time and who had formerly represented an owner of a night club in Prince George who violated public health orders during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, told Woolman she would only charged what she would receive from legal aid. Woolman was already approved for legal aid and had used a middleman to authorize an agreement with the lawyer for a flat fee of $1,500 on Dec. 12, 2022. Woolman says in the claim that Gebresellassi did not tell her the agreement had been cured the day previously
"When I told Ms. Gebresellassi I was already approved for Legal Aid, Ms. Gebresellassi told me I would have to file for legal aid as it had been over a year," states the notice. "Then Ms. Gebresellassi informed me I must pay her $5,000 as a retainer and not the contracted flat fee of $1,500, and she needed another $650 for 'taxes'. She taxed the retainer of $5,000. We had a contract for $1,500 which Ms. Gebreselassi breached. Ms. Gebresellassi refused to discuss my case at all until she got $5,650 in cash from me."
The notice states that the two met at the courthouse, which Woolman believed was to discuss her case. Instead, the lawyer refused to discuss anything, insisting on immediate cash payment. After a brief phone call, the pair went to White Tide Sports, another client of Gabresellassi's.
Woolman claims the co-owner of White Tide Sports made two transactions off her credit card, the first for $5,000 and the second for $650. The business owner placed the total amount directly into Ms. Gebresallassi's hand. Woolman then drove her home and gave her information, including disclosure, so that Gebresallassi could prepare for Woolman's court appearance in two days.
"On December 14th, 2022 with court looming the next day I drover [sic] her to my home to go over my case I showed her the video evidence. I told her that she needed to walk through Save-on-Foods to understand the context of the videos and where my assaults occurred. I gave Ms. Gebresellassi the list of questions she was hired to ask in court. She agreed to do so," reads the notice.
The notice goes on to say that on Dec. 15, Crown prosecutor Jennifer Mickelson asked Gebresellassi about her licence to practice law in the province, as he was not listed in the registry. Gebresellassi responded that she was.
During the break, Woolman says she went home but says that in court, Mickelson continued to question Gebresallassi's status with the BC Law Society, of which she again said she was a member.
Gebresallassi was not.
"In court, Ms. Gebresallassi refused to ask the witnesses questions I had provided to which she previously agreed and for which she was hired," reads the notice. "On December 18, 2022, I prepared a contract for Ms. Gebresllassi to sign outlining my concerns about her performance and her refusal to follow my instructions on Dec. 15th, 2022."
Woolman says Gebresallassi refused to sign the contract, which resulted in her firing.
"In court on December 22nd, 2022, Ms. Gebresellassi told the judge she was no longer representing me and falsely claimed the reason because I wanted to self-represent. I had already been doing that. In court, the Crown prosecutor inquired again about Ms. Gebresellassi's status with the BCLS. Ms. Gbresellassi again confirmed she was a member of the BC Law Society and now stated she was appearing pursuant to the National Mobility Regime (sic) Agreement."
Gebresellassi eventually admitted she was not a member of the BC Law Society. Woolman filed fraud complaints with two credit card companies for both transactions made at White Tide Sports. Woolman says Gebresallassi did not deposit any of the money into any trust account. She further states her credit rating has been decimated and debt collection agencies are harassing her. Woolman filed a formal complaint with the law societies of BC and Ontario regarding Gebresellassi. She says that they pointed at each other, neither willing to investigate.
"This had been extremely stressful for me, as Ms. Gebresellassi has plunged me into debt leaving me in unrecoverable financial hardship, in difficulties with collection agencies, and having to defend myself against criminal charges without time to seek qualified legal representation. Her fraud, incompetence, and unwillingness to follow my instructions may very well have compromised the outcome of my trial. My life has been irrevocably disrupted," states Woolman's notice. "...I have been unable to hold Ms. Gebresellassi accountable because neither the BC Law Society, the Law Society of Ontario or the RCMP were willing to investigate her fraud and misrepresentations of her standings."
