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Man found not guilty of manslaughter Defence argues Hay River's Mark Glen Larsen acted in self-defence
Graeme McNaughton
Northern News Services
Published Monday, June 17, 2013
HAY RIVER
Mark Glen Larsen was crying and in the arms of his family in a Yellowknife courtroom June 12 after being found not guilty of manslaughter.
The 12-person jury deliberated the case for less than half an hour following their lunch break.
The trial started on June 3.
Larsen, who resides in Hay River, had been charged in the 2010 death of Brent Nixon. Nixon died after being punched by Larsen outside of the legion hall in the summer of 2010.
During final submissions, Dr. Bernard Bannach, Edmonton's assistant chief medical examiner, testified the punch that resulted in Nixon's death would not have been fatal if he were sober.
Dr. Bannach also testified that Nixon's blood-alcohol content at his time of death to be 260 mg
per 100 ml, which would have put him at more than three times the legal limit to drive.
The amount of alcohol in his system would have caused Nixon's reaction times to be dramatically slowed, meaning his facial muscles would not have been tensed before being struck.
Larsen's attorney, Caroline Wawzonek, argued Larsen's actions were in self-defence, reacting to being shoved by Nixon, who reportedly called Larsen a "fag" during an argument that saw the two face-to-face, as close as 15 centimetres apart.
The Crown argued Nixon had not assaulted Larsen, as no eyewitnesses had seen this occur. Wawzonek said the eyewitnesses had admitted to being intoxicated, and weren't necessarily paying attention to the altercation.
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