Former Olympian guilty of child abduction

QUEBEC CITY- It took only two days for jurors in the trial of Myriam Bedard to render their verdict. The six men, and six women found the gold medal winner guilty of charges she abducted her daughter, by breaching a custody agreement last October.

Bedard and her boyfriend, artist Nima Mazhari claimed they were seeking refuge from "bureaucratic terrorism" in Canada, stemming from the athlete's testimony on the federal sponsorship scandal, when they fled to Washington DC last October.

During the week-long testimony, Bedard's ex-husband Jean Paquet testified how he called her cell phone daily throughout the ordeal. At one point, he described how he warned her he was sending the police after her. "Okay," he claimed she replied.

Bedard was arrested by US Marshalls December 22nd, and spent 14 days behind bars over the holidays.

Crown prosecutor Josee Lemieux was satisfied with the verdict, saying she had managed to "prove Myriam Bedard left with the intention to deprive the father from having access to the child."

Bedard's lawyer John Pepper Jr. asked for sentencing arguments to be put off until October 9th, when he served notice he intends to seek a discharge.

"We feel that it is appropriate to keep our comments for the courts," he said, thanking members of the media for what he called their "respectful" treatment of his client throughout the trial.

The Crown says the time Bedard has already spent behind bars will be taken into account during sentencing. Bedard will remain free, under certain conditions until that time.