GUADALAJARA, Mexico (Reuters) - A Canadian woman who became a cause celebre at home after being kept in a Mexican jail for two years without trial, received a five-year prison sentence on Tuesday after being convicted of links to an investment scam.

Martin's lawyer, Guillermo Cruz, called the verdict "irregular" and said there was no evidence to convict her. He told reporters that Martin screamed and collapsed when she heard the verdict and needed medical assistance.

She is one of a string of foreigners in recent years to get embroiled in Mexico's complex and often corrupt criminal justice system that routinely puts suspects behind bars for long periods before their cases are heard.

Martin's arrest was linked to a severance payment she accepted from Waage after he dismissed her.