Features  Front Page News Desk News Briefs News Summaries Columnists Sports Editorial Arctic arts Readers comment Find a job Tenders Classifieds Subscriptions Market reports Handy Links Best of Bush Visitors guides Obituaries Feature Issues Advertising Contacts Today's weather Leave a message
|
.
Woman chases intruder out of apartment
Lauren McKeon Northern News Services Published Friday, September 4, 2009
Robert Bonnetrouge was discovered by a tenant after she returned from grocery shopping with her three-month-old baby. "She walked by the bathroom and saw a man standing there," said Crown lawyer Glen Boyd. The tenant then confronted Bonnetrouge - a heavyset man with long hair shaved at the sides - who ran out of the apartment with no shoes. He was arrested and charged by RCMP later that same day, after he was picked up at Stanton Territorial Hospital where he was highly intoxicated and causing a public disturbance. Boyd called the break and enter incident serious, reminding the court of the old adage: "A person's home is their castle." A person should be able to return to a "safe and secure" environment, he said, "without having to worry about finding someone in their bathroom." Judge Brian Bruser agreed, adding "A woman walked in without any form of protection and there you are in her bathroom." "This was her home," he said. The incident was more troubling due to Bonnetrouge's "substantial (criminal) record," said Boyd. Bonnetrouge's record dates back to 1993 and includes three sexual assault convictions but no previous break and enters. "I hope the victim didn't know about the record when she encountered him," said Bruser. Defence lawyer Nikolaus Homberg was unable to enlighten the court as to what Bonnetrouge was doing in the apartment, saying Bonnetrouge told him he was "confused about what he was doing there ... he can't remember." "I would even suggest to you it was out of character for this individual," he added. Bruser sentenced Bonnetrouge to five months in jail, less three months for time already served. "One might have thought with a criminal record going back to 1993 (you would have) stopped this type of behaviour by now," the judge told Bonnetrouge. Instead, "You have today added a new category to your record."
| |||||||||||
