Suspect in murder case to stand trial
29-year-old accused of killing Yvonne Desjarlais has case moved to NWT Supreme Court
Daniel Campbell
Northern News Services
Published Tuesday, May 27, 2014
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A 29-year-old man accused of first degree murder in the death of a mother and grandmother from Lutsel K'e has been ordered to stand trial in NWT Supreme Court.
David Harrison arrives at the Yellowknife courthouse on July 12 after being charged with first degree murder. Territorial court judge Bernadette Schmaltz ordered Harrison to stand trial Friday in NWT Supreme Court. - NNSL file photo
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Yvonne Desjarlais, 63, was found dead the morning of Dec. 30, 2012 in an alley off 53 Street and Franklin Avenue.
David Richard Harrison appeared in territorial court on Thursday and Friday for a preliminary inquiry to determine if there is enough evidence to bring his case to trial. After a day and a half of proceedings, during which two witnesses testified, Judge Bernadette Schmaltz committed Harrison to trial and transferred the case to the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories.
There is a publication ban on any evidence heard in the preliminary inquiry.
Security was beefed up for the two-day hearing, with metal detectors and extra sheriffs on hand.
Often accused are allowed to sit with their lawyers and usually only one RCMP officer and one sheriff are present in the courtroom -- but not in this case.
Harrison sat in a protected enclosure in the courtroom the entire time, with two RCMP on each side of him. A plain-clothes police officer sat in the gallery as well, which was mostly filled with family members of Desjarlais.
Members of the gallery became upset during the hearing Friday, some even muttering toward Harrison, who kept his head bowed downwards in the enclosure. Sheriffs and police watched the gallery intently.
Harrison was arrested on July 11, 2013. RCMP say they arrested him without incident.
Court records show Harrison failed to appear in court on Jan. 17, 2013 and March 19, 2013 and breached his probation on Sept. 27, 2013.
No dates have been set for Harrison's next appearance, which will take place in Supreme Court. In the meantime, he remains in custody at the North Slave Correctional Centre.
