Arson suspect, Chancey Heiser, in jail for sex assault

A high profile arson case has been adjourned until next week.

Chancey Heiser faces three charges related to the 2010 fire that claimed a building at the corner of First Avenue and Smith Street that housed Heiser’s Health and Fitness, The Pumphouse and Shear Bliss.

The three counts include arson with disregard for human life, arson for a fraudulent purpose and fraud.

He is also charged with two unrelated charges of criminal harassment and breach of an undertaking for contacting a person he was not supposed to.

Heiser appeared in Yorkton court December 15 by video from Saskatchewan Penitentiary in Prince Albert where he is serving four years and six months for sexually assaulting two women in July 2011.

He pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault and one count of falsely representing himself as a police officer after a preliminary hearing at Court of Queens Bench Prince Albert at which both of the victims testified. The Crown issued a stay of proceedings on four other charges including uttering threats to the victims.

Three weeks later he tried to withdraw the plea and his lawyer withdrew from the case. The Court held an expungement hearing at which the Court rejected the withdrawal. He was convicted in May of this year.

In June, he applied to the Court of Appeals for interim judicial release pending an appeal of his conviction. The prosecutor argued Heiser did not meet two of the criteria for release that his appeal was not frivolous and that his detention was not necessary in the public interest.

The higher court dismissed the application agreeing with the Crown.

“To release Mr. Heiser in these circumstances would detrimentally affect the public confidence in the administration of justice and would therefore be contrary to the public interest,” wrote Justice J.A. Jackson.

Heiser is scheduled make his next appearance in Yorkton court December 23.