Lyle Howe's ex-client tells hearing she felt abandoned by lawyer

A former client of Halifax lawyer Lyle Howetold a Nova Scotia Barristers' Society hearing Monday thatfelt left in the lurch when she couldn't reach him on the day of her sentencing.

The woman's name like the names of all Howe's clients who may be called as witnesses at his professional misconduct hearingis banned from publication.

She testifiedthat she was charged in a domestic assault case and saidHowe approached her parents in the courtroom and that's why she hired him.

Howe has said the woman approached him.

Guilty plea on her behalf

She saidshe told Howe she was remorseful and didn't want to go to jail or get a criminal record. She saidHowe told her the Crown would drop two charges if she pleaded guilty to the one remaining charge. He also said she'd get a conditional discharge.

He then entered a guilty plea on her behalf. The woman saidit was only during the pre-sentencing report that she learned she had in fact pleaded guilty to assault with a weapon not common assault as she'd thought.

The woman tried to contact Howe, who was involved in his own sexual assault trial at that point. He was at first convicted of that charge, but had the conviction overturned.

Couldn't reach Howe

The woman saidshecould not reach Howe or anyone at his office. She eventually got a second lawyer, who did get her probation and a conditional discharge.

She filed a complaint with the society because "someone had a job to protect me."

Howe then questioned the woman's account. Howe pointed out he gotthe Crown to withhold from the recordthe fact she washolding a hammer during the incident.The woman agreed that fact was withheld.

TheCBC'sBlair Rhodes tweetedfrom the courtroom.

Howe's disciplinary hearing started last fall in Halifax and has been holding hearings, off and on, over the space of several months.

One of the principalcomplaints againstHoweis that he was frequently double-booked andscheduled to bein two or more courtrooms at the same time.