Guilty plea in 2015 Ndilo death
Common-law wife of Archie Paulette had no-contact order at the time of man's death
Shane Magee
Northern News Services
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The common-law wife of Archie Paulette, charged with second degree murder after his death in Ndilo last year, pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter in court on Monday.
Beverly Ann Villeneuve was arrested after Archie Paulette, 68, was found grievously injured in his home at 122 Sikyea Tili on June 8 of last year. He was later pronounced dead at Stanton Territorial Hospital.
She appeared by video in NWT Supreme Court before Justice Andrew Mahar to enter the plea.
Manslaughter is a charge that typically means there was no intent to kill the person.
Villeneuve, who remains in custody, is scheduled to appear in court for her sentencing Nov. 14.
A second degree murder conviction would result in a life sentence.
Manslaughter carries a minimum sentence of four years. The typical sentence for manslaughter in the territory is about five years in prison.
Defence lawyer Peter Harte said a pre-sentence report will be prepared outlining her personal history.
Asked if there was a plea deal, Harte said the Crown prosecutor's office must approve of a plea to a lesser charge.
"She can't just walk into court and plead guilty to a lesser offence like manslaughter instead of murder unless the Crown has consented to that," he said Monday. "So typically that means the Crown has either offered to take that plea or accepted my proposal."
Villeneuve had been under bail conditions that she have no contact with the 68-year-old Paulette when he died. She was placed on those conditions after being charged with assault with a weapon and possession of a weapon after Paulette was stabbed on Dec. 11, 2014. Court documents indicated the stabbing occurred at the same address where Paulette was found badly injured prior to his death last year - 122 Sikyea Tili. It was not revealed in court Monday how Villeneuve killed him.
The guilty plea comes days after a young woman was found not guilty of stabbing Daniel Faine to death in Ndilo in 2013. Paulette's death was the first homicide reported in Yellowknife last year.
The second was of Elvis Lafferty in a Lanky Court apartment building in September. Kevin Mantla was charged in that case which is still before NWT Supreme Court.
