[MSN] Canada. Bédard blames her parents for partner's theft charges

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Bédard blames her parents for partner's theft charges
Last Updated: Friday, May 18, 2007 | 4:37 PM ET
CBC News

Former Olympic athlete Myriam Bédard blamed her parents for charges of art theft against her partner Nima Mazhari at his trial Friday, saying they wanted to control her life and resented her relationship with the accused.

The former champion biathlete was called by the prosecution to be a witness in the case against Mazhari, who is charged with stealing and possessing 20 paintings by the late Ghitta Caisserman-Roth, with whom he once shared studio space.

Montreal artist Caisserman-Roth died in 2005. The 20 paintings have been estimated to be worth about $100,000.

Under questioning by the Crown, Bédard told the jury she couldn't identify four of the allegedly stolen paintings when shown photos of them in court.

She had been shown other paintings Thursday, and also said then she didn't recognize most of them.

She testified Thursday that, during a certain period in her life, she had changed homes several times, and had asked her father to store some of her valuables, including her Olympic medals and items from her art collection.

Bédard testified Friday that her father told her former agent that he had some stolen paintings in his home, brought there by her and Mizhari. The agent, Jean-Marc St-Pierre, testified Thursday that he went to police about the matter.

Under questioning by defence counsel, Bédard said her parents and siblings have been upset ever since she and Mazhari became friends. She said her family wanted to control her life.

She also said her relatives feared her child would be brought up by an immigrant, instead of being raised like a Quebecer.

She told jurors her family thought she and Mizhari would take her daughter to Iran.

Bédard and Mazhari travelled to the U.S. with her daughter from a previous marriage in October 2006.

Bédard was arrested in Maryland in late December and has been ordered to stand trial on a charge of violating a custody order. A court date for that case is expected to be set in June.

The 37-year-old won two gold medals at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics and a bronze at the Albertville Games two years earlier.

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