Lee Escott civil action set over as criminal trial looms
A lawsuit seeking hundreds of thousands of dollars from national bowling champion Lee Escott is expected to be resolved at Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court next month.
Escott and his parents are alleged to have borrowed more than $800,000 from Roy Douglas, the former part-owner of St. Pat's Bowling Lanes in St. John's, and his wife, Gladys Douglas, and not repaid it.
The Douglases filed a Supreme Court action last year, in an attempt to recover the cash.
In earlier submissions to the court, the Douglases claimed they asked for the money several times over the past six years, but the Escotts "have been evasive as to the status of any repayment." Those claims have not been proven in court.
Lee Escott has acknowledged borrowing up to $300,000 from the Douglases.
The matter was called at Supreme Court in St. John's on Wednesday morning.
Escott surprised even his own lawyer when he arrived for that hearing.
At a court date in September, lawyer James Smyth told the judge he had not heard from his clients, the Escotts, since the summer or fall of 2014.
Smyth was in the process of removing himself as counsel until Wednesday morning.
Justice James Adams said he wants more details on the case — including why such a large amount of money was loaned in the first place.
Adams said the rationale given doesn't pass the "smell test."
The judge set over proceedings in the civil case until the middle of next month.
Fraud, forgery trial set for next month
But before the civil case resumes, Escott is scheduled to appear at provincial court for his criminal trial on unrelated charges involving an amateur bowling association he once led.
Escott was elected president of the Newfoundland and Labrador 5 Pin Bowlers' Association (NL5PBA) in the fall of 2013.
In August 2014, Escott was charged with eight counts of forgery, stemming from cheques alleged to have been written between April 22 and May 16 of that year.
A few months later, an additional charge was added, for allegedly defrauding the NL5PBA of more than $5,000.
Escott was suspended from his role as association president when the charges first came to light. He was later officially removed from his post, and a new executive was elected.
His criminal trial is scheduled to last three days, from Dec. 7-9.
Escott, 33, has been bowling since he was five. He has won multiple national youth championships, as well as gold medals in the adult division.
In a court appearance related to the civil lawsuit, Escott acknowledged that he frittered away hundreds of thousands of dollars gambling on sports, through Atlantic Lotto's Pro-Line.
