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Man jailed for shootout Drunken incident lands Paulatuk man three-week sentence
Daniel Campbell
Northern News Services
Published Monday, July 22, 2013
PAULATUK
A 42-year-old man was sentenced to three more weeks in jail for a shooting in Paulatuk that closed down a school in June 2012.
Joe Ruben, 42, pleaded guilty on June 3 to uttering a threat, assault with a weapon and use of a weapon in an offence. He was sentenced July 15 to 20 months in custody, but will only serve three more weeks because of credit for time already served, plus one year of probation after his release.
Ruben had been drinking at a friend's house throughout the night and into the early morning hours of June 25, 2012. At one point, a fight broke out between the two. The scuffle woke up a neighbour around 7:30 a.m. who came out to break up the fight, after which Ruben uttered threats against his co-combatant.
Ruben returned to his residence and the neighbour followed him home to check up on him. The neighbour testified he walked onto Ruben's porch when he heard clicking noises and the sound of a gun being cocked.
He saw the barrel of a shotgun come out of the doorway, two metres away from him. The neighbour jumped out of the way as Ruben fired four shots in his direction.
RCMP were called to respond shortly after 8 a.m. The principal of Angik School in Paulatuk closed the school, fearing for the safety of students that morning.
Justice John Vertes remarked how the shooting would have affected the small town of Paulatuk.
"Having been there, I can well imagine the fear his actions engendered throughout that community."
Vertes said the size of the community and the fact Ruben's family are from Paulatuk must be "a source of embarrassment and shame" for Ruben.
Ruben spoke at his sentencing, saying he'd like to apologize to the community of Paulatuk.
"I'm sorry," Ruben said with his head bowed.
Ruben has been incarcerated at North Slave Correctional Centre since June 25, 2012. He received one-and-a-half days credit for each day he served there, slicing 19 months and one week off his 20-month sentence.
Vertes took into consideration Ruben's good behaviour at the correctional centre, his quiet demeanour and the fact he attended Alcoholics Anonymous meetings when he credited him with 577.5 days already served.
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