A Cochrane swindler offered a lengthy apology in a Calgary courtroom on Thursday, but it was not directed at the victims he defrauded of nearly $1 million.
Scott Brooks told Justice Robert Armstrong of the Calgary Court of King's Bench that he was sorry for wasting so much court time, after delaying his trial for a year before pleading guilty in March.
“I’ve had a lot of time to reflect on this given that I’ve been in custody for all this time,” Brooks said, referring to the revocation of his bail in December at the request of Crown prosecutor Aaron Rankin.
Rankin had argued that Brooks was manipulating his heart condition to delay proceedings. Justice Armstrong agreed, finding that the offender repeatedly misused his medication to prolong the prosecution.
Brooks expressed regret for the time he had taken from the court, saying, “I can’t give back the time I have taken from you, I wish I could. I wish there was something I could do to give back the time that I’ve stolen from you.”
He admitted to police shortly after being charged with fraud-related offences between Jan. 1, 2010, and May 1, 2018, and said fear motivated his delays. “I’m a coward. I got scared. Nobody wants to face this and I didn’t want to face it, I just didn’t.”
Brooks entered a surprise guilty plea on March 3 to 17 charges. Rankin argued for a 10-year prison term, while defence lawyer Kale Vigor suggested four to six years, citing mitigating factors including remorse. Rankin also requested a forfeiture order of $924,954 to compensate victims.
Justice Armstrong will deliver his sentencing decision next month. Brooks remains in custody.
