Aklavik (Apr 14/03) - A 72-year old Aklavik man has been charged with assault causing bodily harm after his spouse was dumped half naked, in a snow bank.

The 44-year-old woman was found by two local residents at approximately 5:30 a.m. April 6. She was disoriented, extremely upset, and dressed only in a T-shirt.

RCMP Cpl. Bill Laidlaw said the woman had been in the snow bank near the Aklavik airport for approximately an hour before she was found.

Police received a complaint of a "drunken dispute" between the accused and the victim at a residence a few hours before she was found. But the male complainant said the individuals had eventually left his home.

But that wasn't the end of it. Two local residents witnessed the woman being taken away on a snow machine. Laidlaw said the witnesses were concerned for her safety and headed out to find her. Their search ended near the Aklavik airport, where she was found floundering in the deep snow.

The two residents, whom Laidlaw calls "two local heroes," saw the woman had bruising on her arms and legs and severe frostbite on both feet. They immediately transported her to the local nursing station.

"It could have been worse, but it (the frostbite) was quite bad. Her feet were blistered quite badly and we saw her about a day and a half later," said Laidlaw.

The victim and the accused had been in a common-law relationship for about 18 years, according to police. Laidlaw said the couple have a history of domestic disputes and the accused has several assault convictions on his criminal record.

"But we haven't had a chance to verify whether they were against her or not," he said. In his years with the RCMP, Laidlaw said he has "seen more damage done to an assault victim," but views this as a very serious crime.

"The assault itself is quite cruel. To take someone, drive them around, throw them in the snow bank and leave them there with nothing on but a T-shirt!

"It's ugly. It's messy. It's nasty.

There's no doubt about it. It was a pretty nasty situation," he said.

Because of the seriousness of the offence, Laidlaw said both the RCMP and Crown prosecutor are in agreement that a stiffer jail sentence should be sought.

"We contacted the Crown for an opinion and we both agree with how to proceed with it at this point ... as an indictable offense," he said.

If found guilty of assault causing bodily harm, the accused could face up to 10 years in prison.

Laidlaw said violence, especially family violence, is virtually unheard of in Aklavik.

"It's not a common occurrence. Aklavik is a very tight-knit community and that kind of violence, it happens everywhere in the world, but it's not as common an occurrence as other places I have worked," he said.