55-year-old Kelley Lynch, the lovely woman who swindled about 5million out of Leonard Cohen, forcing him out of retirement to make a living, has now been found guilty of harassing the 77-year-old musician.
This morning, BBC News reports that Cohen - "who cut ties with Lynch in 2004 - testified that her messages left him scared at times. Lynch's lawyer argued that her communications were 'cries for help, not criminal conduct'. Nikhil Ramnaney also contended that the 55-year-old's actions were prompted by the loss of her career", which is rich considering she was kind of instrumental in said loss.
The Beeb continues: "Cohen sued Lynch in 2005 over an allegation of the theft of millions of pounds from his personal fortune but she did not face criminal proceedings over the matter. The pair had a brief romantic liaison which Cohen told the court ended after the theft claims. The Hallelujah singer was accused of tax evasion, perjury and drug abuse in Lynch's messages, which his lawyer said had made his life 'a complete and utter living hell'. He told the court: 'I was not willing to take the risk, the risk that someone who leaves me messages that are deranged and violent is not going to turn up outside my house'."
Said messages were intermittent to start, but then escalated to 30 or more a day. Lynch faces up to five years in prison for leaving the messages over the course of the last year.
By the by, tickets for Cohen's final date in IMMA go on sale this coming Thursday, April 19th at 9am.
