Hay River (Apr 18/05) - A Tulita man has been convicted of spousal assault after hitting his wife with his elbow.

Carl James Yakeleya, 47, was sentenced to one day in jail for the Jan. 1 assault in Hay River.

The sentence was nominal and he was not taken into custody.

On April 12, Territorial Court in Hay River was told an intoxicated Yakeleya elbowed his then common-law wife in the ribs while in bed and knocked the wind out of her. In passing sentence, Judge Michel Bourassa called it a "low-end" spousal assault.

Yakeleya originally pleaded not guilty and a trial had been set for last week. However, he changed his plea to guilty as the trial was to begin.

Yakeleya also changed his plea to guilty for a Jan. 3 breach of an undertaking arising from the Jan. 1 incident.

For the breach, in which he was found to have been drinking, he was sentenced to a nominal one day in jail and fined $500.