Sexual assault cold case lawyer raises DNA doubts

The lawyer for a man charged ina sexual assault cold case says the quality of theevidence may bequestionable sincesome of it was gathered more than two decades ago.

At a provincial court bail hearing Wednesday in Calgary, a judge granted lawyer Adriano Iovinelli's request for more time to learn about the case against his client, James Alexander Parent.

"He is anxious to see what the evidence is from 21 years ago and so is the defence," Iovinelli said.

Among Iovinelli's concerns is the quality of the DNA sample that led to the charges againstParent.

"From what I understand, this is purely a DNA case and a DNA match from the Canadian DNA databank. And thequestion is the continuity of any samples that were seized from 21 years ago and their possible match in relation to my client's DNA."

Iovinelli says a disclosure hearing, where he expects to learn more about the Crown's case,is scheduled for Friday and a bail hearing may happennext Monday.

Police saidMondaythey had charged Parent, 50, with sexual assault with a weapon, along with several other offences.

The case dates back to April 6, 1987, when a masked man rang a doorbell in the southwest neighbourhood of Kelvin Grove at around 10 p.m. When a 30-year-old woman opened the door, the man forced his way inside, ransacked the home and sexually assaulted her, police said.

"Before leaving the home, the man threatened to kill the victim with a weapon and warned her not to call the police. The victim, who sustained trauma to the head, ignored the offender's threats and called 911," police said in arelease.

DNA testing and other investigative techniques led to an arrest last Friday, police said.

Parent travelled throughout Alberta

Parent, a Calgary resident, is known to travel extensively throughout Alberta because he worked in the construction industry, said police.

He has been charged with sexual assault with a weapon, sexual assault causing bodily harm, wearing a disguise, unlawful confinement, residential breaking and entering, uttering threats to cause death, and mischief.

In December 1988, Parent was acquitted on 10 charges in connection with the sexual assaults of seven women in Edmonton from October 1986 to August 1987.

At the trial, none of the victims could identify their attacker because he wore a mask and covered their heads with blankets.

However, Parent was convicted of one charge of breaking and entering with the intent to commit an indictable offence and was sentenced to 3 years.

At the time, he had a previous criminal record of child molestation, indecent assault and attempted unlawful confinement.