Andrew Raven
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Apr 16/04) - A 17-year-old woman who grabbed an acquaintance by the neck and punched her in the face just days after giving birth was found guilty of assault, Tuesday, in territorial youth court.

"She just had a baby a couple of days before. I wasn't really expecting anything," said the 19-year-old victim

According to the victim's testimony, she got into a shouting match with the defendant outside of a downtown residence on Aug. 19, 2003.

The defendant -- whose brother was the victim's former boyfriend -- began yelling obscenities and said "Stay the f--- away from my brother."

The 17-year-old then grabbed the victim around the neck and punched her above the eyebrow, opening a cut that took three or four stitches to close.

Following a 15-minute case by the Crown, the woman's lawyer, John Rhynes, did not offer a defence.

Judge Brian Bruser found the teen guilty of assault, but postponed sentencing until May 3 to give court workers time to compile a pre-sentence report.