SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - A trial date has been set for a Yellowknife carver charged with two counts under the Fisheries Act for illegally possessing a narwhal tusk and transporting mammal parts between jurisdictions.

The 26-year-old man pleaded not guilty to both charges in territorial court on March 15.

An Inuvik fisheries officer charged him with possession of a narwhal tusk - still attached to the narwhal - while without a licence based on an incident on Nov. 27, 2010, and "taking or carrying" marine mammal parts from one jurisdiction to another without a marine mammal transportation licence between Aug. 31, 2008, and Oct. 15, 2008. Both offences fall under section 78 of the Fisheries Act.

On March 29, Judge Robert Gorin scheduled June 1, 2011, as the first day of a two-day trial. The case will be back in territorial court on April 12 to confirm the lawyers and the trial date. Crown prosecutor Jill Andrews elected to treat the charges summarily, meaning lesser punishment if the accused is found guilty.

Son charged over death threat

A Yellowknife man has been charged with uttering death threats to the same man his father clubbed over the head with a tire iron more than a year ago.

Mohamed Ahmed Makaran, 23, is charged with uttering a death threat on Jan. 10, 2011. The complainant told Yellowknifer on Friday he is the same man who was clubbed over the head with a tire iron by Makaran's father on Feb. 20, 2010, at the Shell gas station on Range Lake Road.

Ahmed Makaran, 57, received nine months of house arrest on Dec. 9, 2010, in territorial court for the attack.

On March 29, Judge Robert Gorin set Mohamed Makaran's next court date for April 12 at 9:30 a.m.

Mohamed Makaran wasn't in court on March 29, however, his father was spotted in the second floor lobby.

Crown prosecutor Jill Andrews has elected to treat the charge as a summary offence.

Man who stole television, meat to be sentenced

A Yellowknife man charged with stealing a television from Wal-Mart and stealing meat from the Yellowknife Co-op changed his mind on March 29 and pleaded guilty to both offences in territorial court.

Ricky Bain, 53, previously pleaded not guilty on Nov. 9, 2010. Bain was charged with two counts of theft under $5,000 for stealing the television on Aug. 10, 2010, and the meat on Aug. 25, 2010. Judge Robert Gorin scheduled Bain's sentencing for both offences for April 14, 2011 at 1:30 p.m.

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