Convicted NL sex offender Chris Carter files his own appeal

Hand-written document lists several grounds of appeal, indicates Carter no longer has a lawyer
A St. John’s-area man sentenced in December to a decade behind bars for sexual violence offences against two teenage girls has filed his own appeal.

Chris Carter, 38, filed the hand-written document at the Newfoundland and Labrador Court of Appeal on Jan. 10, appealing his convictions and his sentence and asking for a new trial, this time with a jury.

The document indicates Carter, who was represented at trial by lawyer Iain Hollett, no longer has legal representation.
Several reasons listed for appeal

He lists his grounds for the appeal as “Denial of change of venue, misapprehension of evidence, errored (sic) in denying pretrial applications for production of additional evidence, failed to address inconsistencies that impacted witness and complainant reliability/credibility, error in assessment of the physical and digital evidence, other grounds revealed by review of the transcripts, errored (sic) in law during conviction and trial.”

The application also indicates Carter plans to make his appeal arguments in writing and in person.
Crimes spanned two years

Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court Justice Vikas Khaladkar sentenced Carter Dec. 19 to 10 years in prison and ordered him to abide by the Sex Offender Information and Registration Act for life, having convicted him in September of sexual assault, sexual interference, and sexual exploitation involving two girls over two years.

One of the complainants was 12 when Carter began abusing her; the other was 15. They are related, and Carter was known to their families. Their identities are protected by a publication ban.
Carter testified last summer, denying all eight of his charges and saying there had never been any sexual contact between him and either of the two girls.

The judge, however, didn’t accept that.

“Let me reiterate: I do not believe the accused,” Khaladkar said, finding Carter guilty of all charges.

Applied to move trial from St. John’s

Before his trial began, Carter had argued unsuccessfully before a different judge to have the proceedings moved to a courtroom in central or western Newfoundland.

At that time, he had chosen a jury trial and he submitted the publicity his case was getting, particularly related to protests outside the courthouse and a Facebook group he said had violated his right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty, were making it impossible for him to get a fair trial in St. John’s.

Justice Donald Burrage denied Carter’s request, saying social media has no boundaries and it would make the pool of potential jurors smaller.

Carter is currently in custody at the correctional facility in Bishop’s Falls.