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Nathan VanderKlippe
Northern News Services
Angrove spent four days last week as the centre of attention in a lurid jury trial that waded through procedural arguments and repeated adjournments.
Liberated after two hours of jury deliberation, Angrove said he felt relaxed for the first time in months.
"There's been a lot of pain," said Angrove after the trial. "It's been hell in my life, pure hell. If I didn't have my job and the faith of the people there I don't know what I would have done."
Angrove faced two sexual assault charges relating to events on the same night. The complainant testified that she was raped on July 26, 2000, at the causeway outside of Iqaluit. Angrove countered that consensual sexual relations took place at the complainant's apartment.
The well-known former vice-president of the Nunavut Employees Union worked as a taxi driver for 11 years before driving for the Department of Public Works. Because he was so well known, it took an entire day to secure a jury without close ties to the accused or the complainant.
Witnesses contradicted the complainant's testimony several times, and she did not answer certain key questions from the defence.
In the end, the jury found Angrove's version more believable.
"Verdicts like this are always difficult for the complainant and their family, but the jury decided what they felt was the proper decision in light of the evidence in front of them," said Crown prosecutor Judy Chan.
The trial was drawn out by numerous disputes over legal technicalities raised by both Chan and defence attorney Michael Chandler. Over four days, members of the jury marched in and out of the courtroom 18 times to let the Justice Mary Hetherington rule on the arguments.
"Some trials run more smoothly than others. We have tried to make this one run smoothly and have not always succeeded," said Hetherington.
