SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - A 30-year-old Behchoko man accused of attacking a woman on 53 Street on Jan. 2 will remain behind bars after being denied bail by Judge Christine Gagnon on Friday in territorial court.

Bobby Zoe, right, is charged with several offences related to an alleged attack on 53 Street on Jan. 2, 2011. Here, Zoe is seen being led from the courthouse after a court appearance on Jan. 5. He has been in custody since his arrest. - Ian Vaydik/NNSL photo

After hearing submissions from Crown prosecutor Annabelle Racine and defence lawyer Jay Bran, including previously unreported details of an alleged sexual assault, Gagnon ruled Bobby Robert Zoe will remain in custody at the North Slave Correctional Centre until his May 24 preliminary inquiry.

At Racine's request, Gagnon issued a publication ban covering evidence heard as well as the judge's reasons for denying bail.

The publication ban expires when the case is no longer before the courts.

Zoe is charged with attacking a woman, 23 at the time, on 53 Street south of Franklin Avenue on Jan. 2, 2011, at around 8:30 p.m. According to an RCMP press release issued on Jan. 4, the woman was walking on 53 Street when a man grabbed her from behind, threw her to the ground, demanded money and threatened to kill her. She was able to call for help even though the man was choking her. Moments later, two men living nearby ran out of their house and stopped the attack.

The two men, Andrew Johnson and Vincent Hernot, 19 and 27, respectively, at the time, told Yellowknifer on Jan. 10 they saw the woman being chocked from behind.

When Hernot yelled at the assailant, he fled up 53 Street and ran behind the NorthwesTel building, where he was caught by Johnson and Hernot. The alleged attacker told Johnson and Hernot they had the wrong person - that the real offender fled in the other direction.

Regardless, they held the man until police arrived, except for a brief moment when the alleged attacker was able to free himself and briefly flee again after reportedly pulling out an unopened wine bottle and cracking Johnson over the head with it.

Hernot and Johnson caught the man again by the Nova Plaza building on 52 Street.

Zoe is charged with sexual assault, assault with a weapon, uttering death threats, robbery, choking to overcome resistance and breach of probation. He was also charged with assault with a weapon for the attack on Johnson.

Zoe's case will be back in court for a preliminary inquiry on May 24 at 9:30 a.m.

If the presiding judge determines there is sufficient evidence to proceed, the case will be moved to the Supreme Court for trial by judge and jury. Zoe has been in custody since his Jan. 2 arrest.

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