BYLINE: with
Northern News Services
Published Monday, January 14, 2008

NUNAVUT - Using a sewage disposal truck, someone in Grise Fiord made a hole in the side of a house, knocked off the front step railing on the RCMP detachment building, damaged the back of the RCMP truck, completely ruined a new police snow machine and damaged another one Jan. 5.

Damage is estimated to be in the tens of thousands of dollars.

A 22-year-old man faces a series of charges related to the incident.

Const. Ian Johnson said the accused's parents turned over a letter that the accused is believed to have written.

The correspondence indicated that the motivation for the crime was the injustices done to his grandmother during her relocation in the 1950s, including the shooting of her dogs.

The accused was to appear before the Nunavut Court of Justice on Jan. 9, but the matter was adjourned to Jan. 14. He remains in custody in Iqaluit.

No plea in slaughtered muskoxen case

The 24-year-old man charged with the slaughter of six muskoxen in the summer of 2006 appeared before court in Cambridge Bay on Jan. 8.

Dennis Ipeelie was not ready to enter his plea, so the matter was put over to the next circuit date in the community, on March 17, according to Crown prosecutor Rachel Furey.

Attempted break and enter at RCMP detachment

The Sanikiluaq RCMP detachment sustained damage on Jan. 7 at approximately 12:30 a.m.

"What appears to have happened is that they tried to pry the door. After that attempt failed they broke the window, which would've set off the alarm," Cpl. Paul Robinson said. The suspect or suspects then fled the scene.

"It's possible that they may have been after items we've seized in the past," Robinson said, adding that it's no secret that the RCMP has confiscated drugs and alcohol. Sanikiluaq is a dry community.

"It is very uncharacteristic for something like this to happen," said Robinson.

The RCMP had no leads or suspects as of last Wednesday.