VANCOUVER - A man convicted of sexually assaulting a young girl at a beach in the UBC area fired his third lawyer on Friday, then claimed he was represented by Jesus Christ and forced the adjournment of his sentencing hearing.

The Vancouver court appearance of David Alan Lessor featured some sharp exchanges between the sex offender and the trial judge, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Miriam Gropper.

After Lessor had discharged his current lawyer, Eric Warren, the judge advised him that it was a serious matter and that his liberty was at stake, and urged him to get another lawyer for his own good.

The judge said she didn’t want to hear the reasons why he fired his lawyer, but Lessor loudly insisted it was his right to do so.

“It is my right to defend myself in this courtroom,” said Lessor. “You cannot take that right away from me. It is my right by law.”

“You’re going to listen to me today, sir,” replied the judge. “What happens between you and your current lawyer, your former lawyer, whatever, is a matter between you and your lawyer.

“And whether you have three lawyers or eight lawyers or 15 lawyers, that doesn’t matter to me. I don’t want to know what occurred between you and your lawyers because that’s private. It’s privileged.”

When the judge pressed him to say whether he wanted to get a new lawyer, Lessor said: “I have a lawyer. His name is Jesus Christ and he’s representing me in this courtroom today. And he’s going to speak truly today and going to address this court today providing you give me that opportunity.”

When Lessor complained that he hadn’t got a fair trial and demanded that the charges be stayed, the judge told him she didn’t have the authority to stay any charges or review the conviction, adding it was a matter he could take up with the B.C. Court of Appeal.

“The conviction stands,” said the judge. “If you want to appeal that, you can.”

Lessor said his problem was that the judge had found him guilty of the charges.

“But my Jesus Christ, my Lord and my saviour, has forgiven me and pardoned me and found me not guilty.”

The judge asked him whether he had a friend who could come and sit with him in court.

“I have a friend, the holy spirit,” said Lessor. “The angels of God are here.”

Lessor warned the judge that what she said and what Crown counsel Kristin Bryson said was “being heard by all of heaven. I’m going to strongly advise you that my God will send his angels to deliver me from your hands. So let’s proceed.”

The judge said she would proceed and asked Bryson to begin giving her submissions on sentencing, but Lessor again objected.

“I think we should stand down,” he said. “This isn’t right. I need to talk to a lawyer about an appeal.”

The judge said she was concerned about the “contradiction” between Lessor not wanting a lawyer and wanting a lawyer, and suggested an adjournment to give him a chance to get counsel. The matter was adjourned until next Thursday.

The Crown is seeking a two-year jail term for Lessor, who was convicted in August of sexually assaulting an eight-year-old girl at a University Endowment Lands beach on Canada Day 2014.

Court heard that Lessor had approached the victim — who cannot be identified because of a publication ban — and her mother a short while after they arrived at Acadia beach, west of Spanish Banks.

Lessor, who did not know the victim or her mom, began a conversation with them. After the mom had gone to her vehicle to pick up some items, Lessor lifted her dress up and touched her on the lower part of her bathing suit.