Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - A Yellowknife man was sentenced to one year in jail on Nov. 14 for assaulting a woman.

Peter Ugyuk, 38, pleaded guilty to assault with a weapon stemming from an April 27 incident when he punched, choked and pulled out chunks of the woman's hair.

The court heard the facts of the case from Crown lawyer Janice Walsh. She said Ugyuk and the woman had been out drinking in Yellowknife bars and had returned to an apartment when an argument ensued. The woman was in her bed trying to sleep when Ugyuk attacked her. He first put her hands on her mouth so she couldn't breathe. He then choked and punched the woman and pulled out bunches of her hair.

The woman jumped off the second-floor balcony and landed on a concrete area, injuring her hip.

Judge Brian Bruser ruled that it was reasonable to conclude the woman "was leaving out of fear for her safety."

The woman was then helped back inside by Ugyuk, where he continued to assault her. Walsh described Ugyuk's further assault on the woman as he "put his hands around her face and (squeezed) her cheeks until it caused her pain." The assault ended when Ugyuk fell asleep.

The woman was able to get to the hospital the next day for medical treatment.

Ugyuk has previously been convicted of assaults.

Before sentencing was handed down, Walsh requested that Ugyuk receive 12 to 14 months in jail. Defence attorney Jay Bran asked for a jail term around eight months for his client.

Ugyuk spoke to the court to express remorse for the incident.

"I didn't have any excuse for that night," he said. "I do apologize."

"Where does this unbridled rage come from?" questioned Bruser. "You can't blame alcohol. Alcohol doesn't pummel people as you did to this victim."

In addition to a jail term of one year, Ugyuk was given a five-year firearms prohibition, 18 months probation and a DNA order. The Crown stayed an additional charge of unlawful confinement.