A BC ruling exposes what happens when there is no oversight over a vulnerable employer
A British Columbia personal assistant who received over $5.1 million from her cognitively impaired employer must return the funds and properties. On March 30, 2026, Justice Hamilton of the BC Supreme Court ruled the transfers cannot be retained, that Karen Vinci was fired for cause, and that she is entitled to modest damages for sexual assault and battery against her employer, Douglas Beckman.
Vinci was hired in late 2017 by Beckman's numbered company, 330542 BC Ltd., as his personal assistant at $5,000 per month. Her duties were never formally defined; the court noted they "included running errands, ordering food, picking up drycleaning and providing companionship." There was no formal job description.
Beckman is a successful businessman living with Huntington's disease, a progressive neurological condition affecting his physical and cognitive functioning, including decision-making and impulse control. By October 2017, his CFO Evelyn Towgood, close friend Grant Steven, his lawyer and his accountant had grown concerned about his daily functioning.
Between April 2020 and April 2022, Beckman transferred approximately $5.1 million to Vinci and her adult children, funding real estate purchases registered in their names. Vinci also charged at least $362,877.70 to Beckman's credit cards for clothing, nail and skin care, gym memberships, pet care and supplies, and photography services, bringing the total at issue to $5,537,845.75.
A warning ignored, a trust broken
Towgood testified she had told Vinci early in her tenure "not to let Doug pay for expensive things for her personally." When she later discovered an Ottawa condominium had been registered in Vinci's name, Karen "came clean." Towgood told Vinci what she had done was "a serious breach of her duties, particularly because of Doug's vulnerability in having Huntington's disease." She also told Vinci this could cause serious tax issues.
Towgood testified the large transactions were intentionally done "behind [her] back." Had she known of any planned significant transfer, she said she "would have made sure Doug spoke with his lawyer and accountant to make sure his intentions were clear."
The court found that Beckman had not proven that the advances were loans. However, the presumption of resulting trust applied because the defendants had not established that the transfers were intended as gifts. Further, even if the transfers had been found to be gifts, the court said it "would not permit the defendants to retain the gifts based on undue influence."
Termination and counterclaims
Vinci was terminated for cause effective April 18, 2022. Her counterclaim alleged wrongful dismissal for refusing to marry Beckman, including a claim for aggravated damages. The court rejected that claim.
Vinci alleged Beckman subjected her daily to unwanted physical touching and kissing, exposed himself to her naked, and sexually assaulted her including penile penetration on numerous occasions. Beckman denied all allegations. The court found Vinci entitled to a modest amount of damages for the tort of sexual assault and battery.
Towgood described her own approach to similar situations in her testimony. When Beckman had offered to transfer shares to her over the years, she gave him "time and space to see if he changed his mind," and would have ensured he obtained "legal and accounting advice given the employer/employee relationship and given Doug having Huntington's disease."
