William Sandeson is appealing the first-degree murder conviction in the death of fellow Dalhousie student Taylor Samson.
A jury found the Dalhousie medical student guilty almost two weeks ago after 22 hours of deliberations.
Defence lawyer Eugene Tan told Global News in an email on Friday afternoon that Sandeson had filed a notice of appeal.
READ MORE: Taylor Samson’s family ‘relieved’ by guilty verdict but still seek closure
“It is fairly typical that the accused would file an appeal on his own prior to obtaining counsel in the event that he or she will be seeking legal aid or state-funded counsel,” Tan wrote.
Samson was last seen alive on video, walking with Sandeson into his apartment on Henry Street in Halifax.
He is never seen leaving the apartment and a body has never been found.
The grounds for the appeal are that Sandeson was detained prior to his first interview and denied a right to counsel, that his cellphone was illegally searched and seized, that his apartment was illegally searched, and that information shared by Bruce Webb — a private investigator hired by the defence but helped the police in making their case — violated his solicitor-client privilege.
A first-degree murder conviction comes with an automatic life sentence, with no eligibility to apply for parole for 25 years.
Having been in custody since Aug. 18, 2015, he would have to serve over 23 years in prison before being eligible for parole.
Tan said in an email that Sandeson is appealing on four grounds, though he said there may be additional ones included in the appeal.
Sandeson is set to be sentenced July 11 at 9:30 a.m. at Nova Scotia Supreme Court.
READ: William Sandeson found guilty of first-degree murder in Taylor Samson’s death
At that time, Taylor Samson’s family members will have an opportunity to present victim impact statements to the court.
—With files from Natasha Pace
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