Former Montreal mayor Michael Applebaum found guilty of corruption, breach of trust

Former Montreal mayor Michael Applebaum has been found guilty of eight charges of corruption and breach of trust.

He was acquitted by a judge this afternoon on two charges, while the four others were suspended.

Thursday, Applebaum nearly collapsed after standing for more than an hour during the reading of the verdict.

He stumbled and one of his lawyers had to catch him before he fell.

READ MORE: Michael Applebaum corruption case: defence presents final arguments

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When the dizziness occurred, the judge had just been talking about statements by Applebaum caught on wiretap.

The 53-year-old pleaded not guilty in earlier court appearances to the charges, including fraud against the government and breach of trust.

WATCH BELOW: Applebaum trial proceedings

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His lawyer told the trial last November that the Crown’s evidence was weak and depended on witnesses who testified against Applebaum to save their own skin.

The Crown alleged Applebaum accepted cash through a former aide in return for favours given to local real-estate developers and engineering firms.

The charges stem from crimes alleged to have occurred in two separate deals between 2007 and 2010 when he was mayor of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Montreal’s largest borough.

READ MORE: Crown argues ex-Montreal mayor Michael Applebaum was aware of corruption

Applebaum, who served as interim Montreal mayor between November 2012 and June 2013, did not testify at his trial.