A Brampton woman accused of posing as a registered nurse and administering Botox and fillers to three patients causing injuries has been found guilty on eights counts, including fraud under $5,000, assault with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm and uttering threats.
Forty-two-year-old Shiva Ashkani appeared in a Toronto court Tuesday as Justice Al O’Marra delivered his verdict after a three-day trial by judge alone.
“There’s going to be a great gift for you. Enjoy your Christmas,” Ashkani told O’Marra as he stood up to leave.
The assaults happened while Ashkani pretended to be a nurse between February and August 2015.
The court heard the owners of “Tanning is the Lifestyle,” a tanning salon on The Queensway, found Ashkani on Kijiji when she was looking for someone who could perform cosmetic services for her customers. Ashkani met with the owners, presented a diploma showing that she was a registered nurse and said she had worked as a nurse in Toronto and Beverly Hills for 13 years.
Two of the victims met Ashkani through the tanning salon and believed she was a nurse.
One woman testified she paid $700 for Botox and fillers in her forehead resulting in bleeding and pea-sized bumps. She said she felt ill after the treatment and had blackening around her eyes for three weeks. She also said she developed a “hole” in the middle of her forehead.
READ MORE: Brampton woman charged for allegedly posing as fake nurse, injecting Botox
Another customer paid $800 for treatment and noticed the skin around her eyes was discoloured and raised. She also got a rash, which the judge said could have been attributable to a number of factors other than the cosmetic procedures.
The third victim found Ashkani’s advertisement on Kijiji and invited Ashkani into her home in February 2015. The 40-year-old paid $850 for Botox and fillers and also had Ashkani perform a chemical peel at an office in Brampton.
The woman testified after the peel she “felt burning and excruciating pain.” She told the court as she emerged into the waiting room, her eyes almost swollen shut, that she thought “she looked like a freak.”
WATCH: Police have charged a Brampton woman, who they say fraudulently claimed to be a nurse. Catherine McDonald reports. (Aug. 26, 2015)
All of the woman consulted doctors after the botched treatments by Ashkani and in some cases spent thousands of dollars to fix the damage done.
An employee from the College of Physicians and Surgeons testified at the trial that Botox and fillers may only be performed by a doctor or a registered nurse under the supervision of a doctor. Justice O’Marra told the court “Ashkani was neither.”
One of the victims confronted Ashkani about the botched treatment in August 2015. It’s then Ashkani threatened bodily harm saying “I will get you.” When the victim asked, “Are you threatening me?” Ashkani replied, “Yes.”
Toronto Police Det.-Const. Dave Purvis investigated the case and said he was pleased with the verdict. He said it is reminder for anyone considering cosmetic procedures to know who they are hiring and called it a classic case of “buyer beware.”
Ashkani will be back in court for a sentencing hearing on March 19.