Daniel MacIsaac
Northern News Services

NNSL (Feb 26/99) - An argument over a bottle of liquor resulted in a man stabbing an acquaintance in downtown Yellowknife and facing a sentence of two years less a day in territorial prison.

John Boucher, 47, who police said was reported to be a resident of Ndilo at the time of the offence, appeared in court last Thursday for sentencing on a conviction of aggravated assault. Boucher pleaded guilty, and the crown described how a misunderstanding between the accused and Albert Mercredi nearly resulted in death.

The altercation took place on the afternoon of Jan. 29 when Mercredi asked Boucher to buy a bottle of liquor for him. When Boucher didn't return immediately, Mercredi went searching and found him at Centre Square Mall. The dispute broke out when Mercredi discovered Boucher had bought the wrong kind of liquor, and security escorted the men from the mall.

The crown said it was when Mercredi was entering the Gold Range bar that he felt a sharp pain in his lower stomach and turned to find Boucher slashing at him with a knife. The weapon had penetrated Mercredi's chest and he fell to the ground.

The incident concluded when an off-duty Yellowknife Correctional Centre guard responded to a woman's screams and restrained Boucher while a bystander threw the bloodied knife on the roof of the neighbouring smoke shop.

Police subsequently reported that the 25-centimetre blade had cut Mercredi's jacket four times, and the knife may have nicked his liver when it passed through the rib cage. Mercredi's condition was closely monitored before he was released from hospital.

During questioning following the incident, Boucher expressed his regret. He admitted carrying the knife but said he had blacked out, from drinking, and had no memory of the attack.

Old record contributes to time

A 63-year-old grandfather who had a clean driving record for more than 20 years nevertheless received a three-month jail term in Yellowknife territorial court Tuesday after being convicted of impaired driving.

The conviction stemmed from an Oct. 14 incident in which the accused ran a stop sign and struck another car before coming to a halt on 50th Street. Breathalyser tests showed a blood-alcohol reading of 190, more than twice the legal limit.

Through his counsel, the accused explained he had just returned from his work at a bush camp on the day in question. He said a fateful mix of beer and painkillers -- taken for a previous neck injury -- led to his intoxicated state.

In passing sentence, Judge Michel Bourassa said he took into account that the accused had nine related convictions on his record, even though the last one stemmed from July 1978. Bourassa also said the explanation that the accused had just returned from camp and wanted a drink was no excuse at all.

"I don't think it would matter to a mother or father holding a bleeding child if (the accused) was just enjoying some relief or had been partying all night," he said.