TULITA/FORT NORMAN
A man convicted of assaulting a woman at a Northern store in Tulita was sentenced to five months in jail on March 19 in territorial court.
The incident occurred after Elvis Eric Blackduck became agitated with a female acquaintance while the pair was getting money from an ATM at the store. Blackduck and the woman had a disagreement and he pulled her out of the store by her hair and hit her in the face.
Photographs submitted in court show the woman with bruising to her right cheek, right eye and forehead.
An employee of the store witnessed the event and Blackduck was charged with assault on March 9.
The 44-year-old has been convicted of assaulting the same woman twice before, in 2010 and 2011. He also has a further nine convictions for causing bodily harm.
According to defence lawyer Gary Wool, Blackduck has suffered trauma in his past and is plagued by alcoholism.
Before handing down her sentence, Judge Christine Gagnon told Blackduck the court is running out of ways to tell him that he can't continue to hurt people.
"You have to change your ways," Gagnon said.
The judge gave Blackduck five months in jail with no probation, saying she can't force him to get help but she can limit his effect on other people.
