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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A man convicted of molesting three girls up to 20 years ago in Yellowknife will have his case back in Supreme Court on Sept. 1 to discuss scheduling a date for his appeal.

Gordon Randolf Larsen was sentenced by Justice John Vertes on June 27 to three years in prison minus the six months he spent in pre-trial custody. The next day, Larsen's lawyer, Edmonton-based Brian Beresh, filed an appeal with the Supreme Court of the NWT.

Justice Virginia Schuler released Larsen from custody on July 13, until his appeal takes place. As part of his release, he was required to forfeit $3,000 and turn himself in to the RCMP 48 hours before his appeal is heard. Other conditions are that he must keep the peace and be of good behaviour and reside in his home community of Haines Junction, Yukon. There, he must report to the local RCMP once a week. The next sitting of the Court of Appeal for the Northwest Territories is Oct. 18. Larsen will find out on Thursday if his appeal will be scheduled then or at a later date.

Vertes convicted Larsen on March 23 after a two-day trial on three counts of sexual interference against the three young girls, now adults, between Aug. 15, 1989, and Feb. 28, 1994. Larsen, who was friends with the girls' parents and occasionally stayed with the families, denied he molested any of the complainants during his testimony at trial.

Larsen is appealing his conviction and sentence, alleging that Vertes erred in applying certain rules, evidence and principles in his conviction, and that the judge unreasonably rejected Larsen's evidence during the trial. Larsen is also arguing he was deprived of effective legal assistance and subsequently to his right to a fair and full trial because of his original lawyer, Tracy Bock. Larsen replaced Bock with Beresh as his lawyer for sentencing, according to court documents.

After 20 years on the bench, Vertes retired as chief judge of the Supreme Court days after sentencing Larsen.

Larsen is seeking that his conviction is either overturned or that a new trial is ordered. If this is denied, he is requesting his current sentence be overturned in favour of what he deems to be a fit sentence.

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