Andrew Raven
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Apr 02/04) - Two men charged in connection with the murder of a local drug dealer appeared in Supreme Court yesterday afternoon -- one to admit his role in the crime and the other to receive his sentence.

Dale Arnold Coutoreille, 44, pleaded guilty to one count of accessory to murder after the fact in the slaying of reputed crack-cocaine dealer Justin Hai Van Vo.

Vo's charred body was found by police on June 16, 2003, near the Yellowknife River Bridge.

Earlier yesterday afternoon, another man charged in the case, Richard Tutin, was sentenced to three and half years in prison -- minus 18 months credit he was given for time in pretrial custody -- after pleading guilty last Thursday to accessory to murder.

Two other men, Francis Yukon and Gerald Delorme, have been charged with first degree murder in Vo's death.

A publication ban has been placed on the facts surrounding Tutin and Coutoreille's involvement pending the outcome of the other cases.

During Tutin's sentencing hearing, Supreme Court Justice Virginia Schuler said the 44-year-old former mechanic's decision to plead guilty and co-operate in the prosecution of Yukon and Delorme weighed in his favour.

Schuler also ruled Tutin won't be sent to Edmonton's maximum security penitentiary -- a common destination for NWT offenders. Last week, Tutin's lawyer, James Brydon, said his client had received a number of death threats during his time in custody and feared for his safety at the Edmonton facility.