Adam Johnson
Northern News Services
Published Friday, August 10, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - A Friday night out in the city led to 15 months in jail for a convicted sex offender.

Charlton Haogak, 20, was convicted of sexual assault Friday afternoon and was sentenced to 15 months of house arrest in his home community of Sachs Harbour. One of the conditions of his sentence was that he abstain from alcohol.

The charge stemmed from an incident in his home in Sachs Harbour, where he engaged in "digital interference" on a passed-out female guest.

"This is going to work, and if it doesn't work it will be jail for you," said territorial court judge Brian Bruser during Friday's sentencing. That evening, when Haogak's supervisor attempted to contact him at the Yellowknife Inn, she was informed Haogak had left a message he had "gone to meet friends at Bruno's," said Crown counsel Wayne Gardner.

The supervisor and the RCMP found Haogak just after midnight at a downtown bar, in the possession of a bottle containing liquor.

"I feel really disappointed in myself," Haogak said in court Tuesday, wiping tears from his eyes. "I let my mom down."

Judge Robert Gorin ordered the conditional sentence terminated.

"You will spend the entire unexpired term of your sentence in custody," he told Haogak.

No charter challenge for Metis fisher

A man charged with wasting fish has taken a step back from his initial claims of Metis fishing rights under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

A Nov. 16 trial date has been set for Brent Beck for setting unmarked fishing gear and wasting fish that is suitable for human consumption.

"It's not going to be pursued," said his lawyer, Austin Marshall of Beck's initial plans to challenge the legislation he was charged under.

Judge conflicted over hair salon

A series of conflicts left a judge flustered last week.

Chief judge Brian Bruser was aghast that, due to an administrative error, a case in which he had a conflict of interest was before him - again.

Mark Poodlat was scheduled to appear before the court to speak to drug charges, as well as a series of break-and-enter charges from businesses around Yellowknife.Bruser said he could not serve on the cases, because of the locations involved. These include Vixen Hair Den, Choice Video and Foto Source.

"I've had my hair done at Vixen for so many years I cannot recall," he explained, adding Foto Source was owned by a close neighbour, and he and his family had frequented Choice Video for some time.

Further, he said Poodlat had often posed a problem at the library, where his wife is the manager.

"It's almost embarrassing to have it before me again," he said.