by Chris Meyers Almey
Northern News Services

NNSL (Feb 28/97) - A woman who began drinking at age four will have to wait two weeks to learn her fate for attacking her mate with a knife and stick in Yellowknife.

Territorial court heard Tuesday that Catherine Anguttitauraq's nine-year-old daughter witnessed the November attack.

However, Judge Michel Bourassa gave Anguttitauraq time to seek treatment to prevent herself from drinking before he hands down a sentence.

Crown attorney Sandra Aitken said Anguttitauraq came home intoxicated at 4:30 a.m., Nov. 16, and got into an argument with her common-law husband.

The man got dressed and called a taxi. When he got into it, the woman began stabbing at him with a knife, but he was protected by the windows. When Anguttitauraq, 25, picked up a length of wood and pounded on the windows, the man fled into a garage.

The man sent the daughter next door to call for help while the cab driver radioed for the RCMP, who didn't locate the attacker until later that morning. She claimed she had no memory of the events.

"People go to jail for two punches to their spouse and here's someone attacking with a knife and stick," noted Bourassa.

In her defence, the woman said she hadn't had anything to drink since the assault, to which Bourassa remarked, "Twelve weeks (after) 18 years of drinking -- some people might say this is the day after."

Her defence lawyer's attempts to paint a favorable picture of her character were rejected by Bourassa, who said she should get jail.

"There's an unbelievable history of alcohol abuse in this person's life since age four. The reality is she may be drinking as soon as a sister comes back into town," said Bourassa.

But he added that if Anguttitauraq could get on an antabuse program (which induces vomiting while drinking), his concerns would be lessened and it would weigh heavily in sentencing.

Anguttitauraq is scheduled to return to court on March 11 after seeing a doctor.