Terry Halifax
Northern News Services

Inuvik (Apr 12/02) - An Inuvik man was sentenced to nine months in jail Monday, for his conviction in the violent robbery of a local convenience store.

Territorial Court heard how Thomas Kent Apsimik, 19, turned some "drunken talk" into a violent robbery.

Crown Prosecutor Caroline Carrasco told the court that Apsimik said to others at a party, "That's my store; let's just go and take what we want."

The Crown's evidence stated the accused left the party and entered the Inuvik Corner Store at 9:45 p.m. He confronted the lone clerk in the store and demanded cigarettes. When the clerk refused, Apsimik tried to get around the counter, but was restrained by the clerk and pushed out of the store.

He returned to the drinking party where he enlisted two other males to return to the store. Apsimik said he would distract the clerk while the others would steal.

With his jacket turned inside-out and two neck warmers disguising his face, Apsimik grabbed the clerk and pushed him into a corner while the other two took cigarettes and a case of chocolate bars. The two accomplices fled and Apsimik was once again over-powered by the clerk and pushed out of the store.

The clerk was uninjured in the incident, but in a victim's impact statement said he feared for his child and no longer wanted to work for the store.

"He must be deterred," Carrasco said in recommending sentencing. "And he must be deterred from influencing others."

Carrasco cited the accused's previous adult and youth convictions, which includes four break and enters, possession of a weapon and uttering threats. She recommended 12 to 18 months jail time.

She also noted that police found a custom-made knife in the accused's pocket at the time of his arrest, but said it was not used in the robbery.

Defence attorney John Macfarlane agreed the offence was a serious one, but thought the court should recognize it as being "on the lower-end of robbery."

He said his client had emotional issues from his childhood and added that Apsimik recognizes he has problems with drug and alcohol abuse and anger management.

Macfarlane asked for a sentence between nine and 12 months, with a focus on rehabilitation and counselling.

Deputy Judge P. Ayot agreed with the defence and handed down the nine month sentence as well as 12 months probation.

Other conditions included a 10-year firearms prohibition, drug and alcohol counselling and a no contact order with the owner of the Corner Store or the clerk who was working at the time. Further, Apsimik cannot enter the Corner Store, the Roost or Midtown Grocery.

"I chose the shorter term, because I want you to look inside and find the good person I know is there," Ayot told Apsimik. "Your life is important -- please don't waste it."