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Ottawa Doctor Accused Of Stalking Shania Decides To Plead Guilty

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Ottawa Doctor Accused Of Stalking Shania Decides To Plead Guilty Empty Ottawa Doctor Accused Of Stalking Shania Decides To Plead Guilty

Post by Bibi Mon Oct 03, 2011 12:58 am

Shania Twain's accused stalker changes plea to guilty
CBC News
September 30, 2011

Ottawa Doctor Accused Of Stalking Shania Decides To Plead Guilty Li-sketch-palumbo-620

The man accused of stalking singer Shania Twain changed his plea to guilty on two charges on Friday.

After a morning of testimony from Twain, the lawyer for Giovanni (John) Palumbo told a Toronto court that his client would be changing his plea.

Palumbo pleaded guilty to a charge of criminal harassment and to breaching a court order.

The former Ottawa doctor was ordered to have a psychiatric assessment at the Royal Ottawa Hospital before returning to court for a possible sentencing on October 18. If he is declared not criminally responsible for the actions he may be sent to a mental health facility.

Palumbo's lawyer, Gary Barnes, said his client got no satisfaction from getting to see and listen to Twain.

"He feels terrible. He upset the lady he loves. Who's not going to be sorry about that?"

The trial has been underway for two days in a Toronto courtroom.

Palumbo had earlier interrupted Twain's testimony for the second straight day while the Canadian superstar was testifying via video link from an undisclosed location in Europe.

Palumbo jumped to his feet to say he didn't know Twain had received his letters.

The outburst came as the country star was telling the court about numerous letters she said Palumbo had written to her, including one she described as "scary."

Palumbo was charged with criminal harassment and not complying with court orders to stay at least 500 metres away from her. The court heard he got too close to the singer during the Juno Awards.

Twain also said that Palumbo arrived outside her Muskoka-area cottage in both a boat and a Lamborghini, showed up at her grandmother's funeral, and sent her flowers in Switzerland.

On the first day of the trial on Thursday, Palumbo interrupted the proceedings to say he was guilty — but the trial continued.

"Eilleen, you can trust me. I'm going to plead guilty," he blurted out, using Twain's former first name.

Despite the admission, the trial continued into its second day.

Source: www.cbc.ca
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Ottawa Doctor Accused Of Stalking Shania Decides To Plead Guilty Empty Another article from The Canadian Press which includes a lot of Shania's second day of testimony

Post by Bibi Mon Oct 03, 2011 1:00 am

Former doctor accused of stalking Shania Twain decides to plead guilty

The Canadian Press
By Nick Patch
September 30, 2011


TORONTO - A man accused of stalking Shania Twain has abruptly pleaded guilty to two charges.

After a morning of testimony from Twain, the lawyer for Giovanni (John) Palumbo told court that his client would be changing his plea.

Palumbo was charged with failure to comply with a court order and criminal harassment by watching and besetting.

Court heard Twain say that while she has compassion for Palumbo she remains concerned for her safety.

"I'm torn emotionally because I have compassion for anybody who's reaching out in need — fans often do that," Twain said.

"I feel very sad ... and awkward having to go through these very personal matters with Mr. Palumbo because it's such an invasion of his privacy."

During Twain's cross-examination, defence lawyer Gary Barnes argued that Palumbo — who allegedly sent Twain a series of letters, made unwanted visits to her family cottage and even attended her grandmother's funeral before being arrested at the Juno Awards this year — simply didn't realize that Twain wasn't interested.

"A lot of this is a misunderstanding between two people," Barnes said. "They got the wrong impressions of each other."

But Twain didn't see it that way, even if she did try to empathize with Palumbo.

"No, I would not agree with that," replied Twain, appearing via video link from an undisclosed location in Europe. Twain said nothing she heard at the trial made her feel differently about Palumbo.

"I still have the fear and anxiety of being contacted in the future by Mr. Palumbo. And I do want it to stop. And as far as I know, this is the only way to go about that."

For the second day in a row, the process seemed to become too much for Palumbo.

Twain was recounting the contents of numerous letters allegedly sent to her by Palumbo when the former doctor — clad in a rumpled black suit and navy slip-on sneakers — leapt to his feet and addressed the court loudly.

"But I didn't know you received any of them — you understand?" yelled Palumbo, alluding to why he persisted in corresponding with Twain even though she hadn't reciprocated his interest.

"It is very emotional for everybody," Palumbo said, addressing the judge.

"Please understand I have emotions, very strong emotions."

Amid his outburst, he muttered that the letters were intended to be "light-hearted." But Twain had disagreed with that assessment in her testimony.

"It was scary and haunting," she said of one correspondence.

"It's a little bit of an emotional rollercoaster reading these mails," she added later. "It's very exhausting and unusual."

On Thursday, Palumbo had a similar outburst declaring: "Eilleen, you can trust me, I'm going to plead guilty." Twain's real first name is Eilleen.

Earlier Friday, the defence quizzed Twain on why the Timmins, Ont., native didn't get in touch with Palumbo to let him know his advances weren't welcome.

"I choose to respond to very special cases ... otherwise, I'd never write songs or make records or do anything else," Twain said.

"Most of my contact is with charities, sick children, crisis situations ... people coming back from war.... I would not consider Mr. Palumbo a special case where I would address it directly."

Palumbo himself was more animated during the second day of the trial. He shuffled around in his seat, turned to grin at a throng of reporters several times, and jumped up to confer with his lawyer repeatedly.

Twain, too, was feisty during her testimony. She disagreed with many of the statements made by the defence and confidently reasserted her feelings on the intent behind Palumbo's words. As the morning session was winding down, Barnes addressed Palumbo's feelings for the singer.

"He's in love, Ms. Twain. He keeps trying. Would you agree that you're an expert on love?"

"No," Twain responded quickly, with a laugh. "I do not claim to be an expert on love."

Source: http://ca.news.yahoo.com
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Ottawa Doctor Accused Of Stalking Shania Decides To Plead Guilty Empty An article from the Toronto Star which includes more testimony from Shania

Post by Bibi Mon Oct 03, 2011 1:02 am

Palumbo pleads guilty to stalking Twain

Toronto Star
By Curtis Rush
September 30, 2011


There was more courtroom drama Friday afternoon when Giovanni Palumbo suddenly pleaded guilty to two charges related to stalking Shania Twain.

Palumbo had been charged with failure to comply with a court order and criminal harassment by watching and besetting and he will now be assessed at the Royal Ottawa Hospital.

Earlier, an emotional Shania Twain begged the court, “I just want it to stop” as she ended her testimony against accused stalker Dr. Giovanni Palumbo on Friday.

In the second day of the trial in Toronto, Twain fended off suggestions that by not responding to Palumbo’s pleas to meet her, she was encouraging him.

Her brother-in-law had told Palumbo personally that she didn’t want to associate with him, she testified via video link from an undisclosed location in Europe. She also said she instructed a flower shop in Switzerland to stop all orders from Palumbo.

“I am torn emotionally because I have compassion for anybody who is reaching out. The fans often do that. I appreciate their trust,” she said of having to testify.

“Yesterday, I felt very sad and awkward. It’s such an invasion of his privacy,” releasing his love letters publicly. I’m so not enjoying this aspect of this. I still have fears and anxiety about being contacted by Mr. Palumbo. I just wish it to stop.”

With that, Justice Richard Schneider and thanked Twain for her testimony and Palumbo bowed his head, was handcuffed and was led out of the court.

lawyer Gary Barnes said, “He (Palumbo) feels terrible. He's upset the lady he loves. Who wouldn't feel sorry about that.”

Earlier in the day, during his cross examination, Barnes pressed the point that Palumbo’s letters had been ardent and adoring but never threatening.

“The letters keep coming and get more intense,” Twain responded. “That is out of the zone of fan relationships.

“I love my fans and my fans love me but we don’t invite each other out on dates.”

Referring to Palumbo’s invitation to meet, she said, “He’s gone on to the next stage of our relationship and I haven’t even begun it. It was a one-way communication. It’s strange. That alarms me.”

At that point that Palumbo jumped to his feet. It was his second outburst, the previous one coming on the first day of the trial on Thursday.

“But I didn’t know that you’d received any of them,” he yelled at the video monitor in a courtroom at Toronto’s Old City Hall.

Schneider admonished him to stay quiet and only discuss the case with his lawyer.

Palumbo responded, “It’s very emotional. Please understand I have very strong emotions. I apologize for the delay.”

The judge called a 20-minute recess.

Palumbo has been in jail since March 27 when he was accused of breaching an order to stay away from the Canadian music legend.

The court heard Thursday that Palumbo sent Twain a series of love letters and flowers in 2009. Excerpts were read in court, the tone growing more serious as he pressed the music star to meet with him.

In 2009, Palumbo was convicted of assault and uttering death threats against his ex-wife.

In February of 2010, Twain filed an affidavit to the Ottawa police that said that she “found the content of the letters to be disturbing.”

His correspondence and attention “toward me is unwanted and has caused me to be concerned for my own safety and the safety of my son and others associated with us,” the affidavit said.

A criminal harassment trial started in Ottawa earlier this year but was charges were dropped when Twain failed to show up. She had said she wanted to stay as far away as possible.

Source:
www.thestar.com
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