Actress convicted of stalking Alec Baldwin
By JENNIFER PELTZ, Associated Press
Nov 14, 2013 10:05 AM CST
Actor Alec Baldwin leaves criminal court in New York, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2013. Baldwin testified Tuesday that he never had a sexual or romantic relationship with Canadian actress Genevieve Sabourin, who is accused of stalking him. He said that after they met she began leaving dozens of voice mails for...   (Associated Press)

A Canadian actress has been convicted of stalking Alec Baldwin in New York City.

A Manhattan judge issued the verdict Thursday, finding Genevieve Sabourin guilty of stalking, attempted aggravated harassment, harassment and attempted contempt of court.

At the trial, Baldwin had testified that the actress had turned his life into a nightmare after they met once for dinner. The actor says she besieged him with unwanted phone calls and emails and started showing up at his homes and at public events.

In his summation to the judge, defense lawyer Todd Spodek said Sabourin had a legitimate, brief romance with Baldwin. He complained that Baldwin was using the court system to "sort out his relationships."

The judge sentenced Sabourin to six months in jail. That's on top of 30 days she already received for disrupting court proceedings.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

Alec Baldwin says a Canadian actress stalked him after he took her to dinner to give her career advice. She says they had a fling that soured, and all she wanted afterward was an explanation.

Summations are set for Thursday in Genevieve Sabourin's criminal trial. Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Robert Mandelbaum is hearing the case without a jury and hasn't said when he will render a verdict; he could decide as quickly as Thursday.

The courtroom drama brought the Oscar-nominated Baldwin to the witness stand and has already sent Sabourin to jail for a series of outbursts. The judge declared her in contempt of court Wednesday and ordered her to spend 30 days behind bars.

Baldwin and Sabourin agree on this much: They met during a 2000 movie shoot in Montreal and had dinner a decade later in New York. The dinner came after mutual friend Martin Bregman, producer of movies including "Scarface," had Baldwin call her as she sought career help.

She says the dinner ended in a sexual encounter, which the actor denies.

He said Sabourin then besieged him with unwanted phone calls and emails. After a March 2012 message said she could infiltrate his apartment building and his now-wife's yoga class, "I knew that she was dangerous," the "30 Rock" star testified.

Then Sabourin showed up at a film screening he was hosting and at his Hamptons and Manhattan homes. She was arrested outside his apartment building in April 2012.

Sabourin, however, said the actor invited her to New York in 2010, took her on a dream date that ended in an amorous night filled with promises for the future, and then dropped her.

She said they maintained a fraught email and phone relationship over the next two years. While he did send some friendly emails, he says he also implored her to leave him alone.

She says the overall message from him was mixed, and she felt entitled to ask what had gone wrong.

"It's not because he's rich and famous that he can take advantage of women and throw them in the garbage," she said.

If convicted, Sabourin, 41, could face up to 90 days in jail on the top count alone.

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