Terry Halifax
Northern News Services

NNSL (Mar 24/99) - A Yellowknife mother testified against her son in Yellowknife Supreme Court Monday morning, claiming her son had threatened her life unless she gave him liquor.

The mother testified that her son arrived at her apartment in the early morning hours of Aug. 26, 1998, threatening her with two kitchen knives where he demanded liquor or money.

"He asked for some booze and I told him I didn't have any," she told the court. "He said, 'If you don't have any booze, give me money.'"

Through tears, she described how the defendant had sat behind her, with one hand over her shoulder and a knife in each hand.

The witness testified her son only left after her niece, who was sleeping on the couch, gave the defendant some liquor.

"After she saw the knives, she got scared and gave him the bottle," the mother testified.

The jury of nine women and three men also heard testimony from Const. Darren Ruben, who was the investigating officer on the case.

The trial is expected to wrap up early this week.