Erika Sherk
Northern News Services
Friday, February 16, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - A Yellowknife man serving time in prison for manslaughter has been denied parole because he is at risk of re-offending, according to the National Parole Board (NPB).

Timothee Caisse, 58, was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison after being found guilty by a jury in 2005.

He was originally charged with second degree murder after the body of David Austin, 33, was found on the floor of Caisse's cabin, 35 kilometres from Yellowknife on Hwy 3, on April 16, 2004.

According to testimony during the trial, Austin had fought with Caisse, Caisse's wife and stepson on the night of the shooting.

When Austin left the cabin, Caisse armed himself with a shotgun in case Austin should return.

Austin did return, and Caisse testified in court that he was startled and pulled the trigger.

He received six months credit for the time he spent in remand waiting for his trial.

On Feb. 1, he had served one year and four months of his sentence and was eligible for day or full parole.

Caisse has been serving his time at a "community residential facility" since Nov. 29, 2006 due to space problems at an unnamed correctional facility.

The Parole Board censored its report to keep Caisse's location secret.

Caisse's case management team recommended that he be granted day parole, with special conditions that he keep away from alcohol and drugs.

"He perceived a significant threat," states the parole report about the killing, "and had his judgment impaired by alcohol."

However, he was denied both full and day parole because, as the report summed up, "(he does) not appear to take any responsibility for (his) offending" adding that Caisse blamed the incident on "bottling up" his emotions.

Caisse is at "the beginning stage of (his) healing" and requires more intervention to reduce the risk that he will re-offend violently, said the report.

According to testimony at his trial, Caisse is a former Giant Mine employee and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. He was the third person to arrive at the scene of the explosion that killed nine men during the strike in 1992.

The manslaughter offence is described as "debatable" according to the parole report, because Caisse believed himself to be in danger when he pulled the trigger and shot Austin, killing him.

However, a psychological assessment completed Dec. 11, 2006, said that Caisse was at medium risk to re-offend violently as he did not believe that alcohol had much of an impact on his criminal behaviour.

Struggling with mental health problems, chronic pain, and post traumatic stress disorder, the report suggested Caisse needed more help before leaving custody.