SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - A 39-year-old woman with a string of violent crimes dating back 18 years was sentenced to three months in jail April 9 for an assault which left another woman with a swollen eye.

Judge Brian Bruser said there was no other choice but to put Winnie Kilikavioyak in jail for what was her ninth assault conviction since 1992.

Defence lawyer Jay Bran had asked for a conditional release because Kilikavioyak had been attending classes at the Native Women's Society and was scheduled to graduate this year. Bruser, however, said jail time had to be given because it was obvious by Kilikavioyak's past convictions for failing to abide by court orders that release wasn't an option.

"Before me I have two pages of slipping," Bruser said, waving around a copy of Kilikavioyak's criminal record. "She has to be locked up. Clearly she poses a major danger to the public."

Bran argued jail time might be harmful to Kilikavioyak's attempt to clean up her act, but Bruser pointed out the assault occurred just one day after she registered for classes.

"Jail time might be detrimental to her, but if she isn't put in jail it will be more detrimental to the public," Bruser said.

Kilikavioyak was charged with assaulting another woman during a day of drinking at her home on Feb. 2. She punched the woman in the face numerous times, causing the woman's bruised eye to swell almost completely shut. The assault occurred because Kilikavioyak wanted all the money the other woman had, which ended up being $60.

Bran argued that seven of his client's previous assault convictions happened prior to 2002, with one in the five-year period following. He said during the quiet time of her criminal history, Kilikavioyak had gone to alcohol counselling and was working to deal with her addiction.

"(Jail) is not the only option," Bran said. "When she's in control and focused, she can stay out of trouble."

Bruser said the assault was "not minor in nature" and, knowing how she gets when she's drunk, she chose to drink anyway.

Bran requested the jail time be served intermittently on weekends, but Bruser denied it, stating if he allowed it to be served on weekends it would be a "tremendous damage to public confidence" in the court system.