A Winnipeg woman accused of stealing money from her sick niece has been found guilty of theft and fraud over $5,000.
Sheryl Matheson was found to have taken thousands of dollars raised to help her niece, Jessica Bondar, who was waiting for a lifesaving heart transplant.
However, before the teen died in a Montreal hospital, all the money vanished.
Justice James Edmond concluded the Crown had not proven the entire $25,000 in the account was taken by Matheson, but he said he believed she had taken more than $5,000 "for her own purposes."
During the trial, Bondar's mother, Charlotte Roy, testified she initially blamed her sister for the missing money but later believed her explanations about how and where she spent the money.
Edmond wrote in his decision that he believes Roy's recantation of her evidence was motivated by the family's wish to reconcile "as well as her concern about her sister being convicted of criminal offences and potentially spending time in custody."
Matheson will be sentenced at a later date.
Bondar suffered a stroke and kidney failure in 2009 due to complications from influenza A and died from a stroke in 2011.
Before she died, she gave interviews saying she believed Matheson had taken her money.
(CTV Winnipeg)
This content appears as provided to The Globe by the originating wire service. It has not been edited by Globe staff.