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IQALUIT
David Lyta has been sentenced to four years in prison for firing a .22-calibre rifle at the homes of two Kimmirut RCMP officers, where they and their families slept, on March 18 of last year.

Justice Andrew Mahar handed down Lyta's sentence on Dec. 18, and released his reasons for judgment last week. While Lyta, 22, was sentenced to four years, Mahar gave him 1.5 days credit for each day imprisoned in the Baffin Correctional Centre while his case went through the Nunavut Court of Justice for close to nine months.

According to the judgment, Lyta had not been a problem for the police beforehand, and "in fact, had a friendly relationship with the (officers)."

Lyta claims to have shot at the homes in an attempt to get help on a night when he was drunk and suicidal.

The RCMP officers and their families awoke in the night to being fired upon, with no idea how many assailants were outside their homes or what sort of weapons were involved, stated Mahar's written judgment.

No one was hit by the shots but the emotional impact will likely be long-lasting, wrote Mahar.

An emergency response team was flown in from Iqaluit and Lyta was arrested without incident. He later pleaded guilty to intentionally discharging a firearm into a place knowing that another person is present in that place.

Lyta's DNA will be kept on record, and he is prohibited from having firearms for

life.

- NNSL staff

Fisherman rescued after falling through ice

Iglulik

A fisherman who had to be rescued after falling through ice last week is back in Iglulik.

The hamlet received a call at around 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 10, saying Simon Qamanirq had called his spouse from his satellite phone notifying her he had fallen through ice, said assistant senior administrative officer Celestino

Uyarak.

He added they didn't know exactly where he was but had an idea where he could be. The man did not have a SPOT device with him.

An initial search team did not locate the man, said Uyarak.

He added a second team, sent in another direction, found the man just before 7:30 a.m. on Jan. 11.

"We were not able to get to him quite as fast as we expected due to broken ice," said Uyarak.

The man was taken to the health centre then released.

"He was cold; otherwise fine," said Uyarak.

He added he understands the man went out to Baffin Island to fish for a couple of days but heading back in the dark, he took the wrong route and fell into the

water.

- Jeanne Gagnon

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