One month after being sentenced to life in prison, the man convicted of first-degree murder in connection with a shooting in Grande Prairie five years ago has filed a notice of appeal to the Alberta Court of Appeal.
On June 21, Nicholas Richard Harris was sentenced for the killing of John William Rock, a 28-year-old man from Edmonton.
Rock was shot outside The Canadian Brewhouse in the early morning hours of Oct. 1, 2014.
READ MORE: Edmonton man charged with deadly 2014 shooting outside Grande Prairie bar
The notice of appeal, filed on Friday, asks for the first-degree murder conviction to be overturned and for Harris to be acquitted or have a new trial ordered, or have his conviction changed to second-degree murder or manslaughter.
Harris’ defence team argues that the trial judge “erred in his interpretation and application of the legal principles for the planning and deliberation element of first-degree murder.” Among other things, the notice of appeal also argues the judge did not correctly interpret and apply legal principles related to self-defence, circumstantial evidence and the assessment of credibility.
“The verdict is unreasonable and cannot be supported by the evidence,” the appeal reads.
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