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More charges for Yk doctor Dr. Richard Cunningham due back in court on charge of assault and two counts of failing to comply with conditions of his probation
Galit Rodan
Northern News Services
Published Friday, October 21, 2011
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A Yellowknife physician, already convicted of several crimes, is set to appear in territorial court on Nov. 1 on one charge of assault and two charges of failing to follow conditions of his probation.
Dr. Richard Cunningham due back in court on charge of assault and two counts of failing to comply with conditions of his probation |
Dr. Richard Cunningham, 62, has broken the law a number of times during his six-year tenure as a physician in the city.
He has maintained his employment with Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority throughout this time, even as he served a 90-day sentence on weekends for uttering a death threat and violating a court order.
The health authority's safe and supportive environment board policy states that "persons who work for or act on behalf of the authority have a duty to promote behaviours that contribute to high standards of personal and professional conduct."
Neither Les Harrison, CEO of the health authority, nor Peter Fuglsang, Cunningham's lawyer, could be reached for comment prior to press deadline.
Dr. Richard Cunningham legal incidents:
August 2008: Driving while under the influence. His licence was suspended for one year.
October 2008: Caught driving with a suspended licence. He was fined $1,500 and given a three-year consecutive driving prohibition.
October 2009: Arrived at the Yellowknife Airport intoxicated and refused to present his identification and boarding pass to staff. He was not permitted to board the plane and, when asked again for his boarding pass so that his luggage could be removed from the flight, he stated that he hoped his baggage would blow up the plane. In May 2010, he pleaded guilty to falsely declaring to having explosives at the airport, contrary to the Aeronautics Act. He was fined $3,000 and given three months probation, during which time he was forbidden from flying on commercial or private aircraft, barring an emergency.
November 2009: Entered into an agreement with the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority stating he would not consume alcohol for three years and that he would undergo psychiatric counselling for anger management.
August 2010: Threatened to kill a woman, saying, "Unless you do as you agreed to do, your life will end kind of abruptly. I'm sorry." He then thrice broke a no-contact order, both calling and confronting the woman on Aug. 29 and calling her again on Sept. 19.
In January 2011 he pleaded guilty to uttering threats and breaching a no-contact order. Judge Bernadette Schmaltz sentenced Cunningham to 90 days in jail, though Crown prosecutors Blair MacPherson and Roger Shepard had only requested a 30-day sentence for all the offences. Schmaltz said Cunningham was responsible for causing the woman to "live in fear" and made her life "unbearable." She also said, in reference to the no-contact order, "Something has to get through to Dr. Cunningham that these are not just pieces of paper."
Cunningham was forbidden from coming within five metres of the woman, her vehicle or her residence. He apologized for his behaviour and assured the court, "This will never happen again." Schmaltz agreed to allow Cunningham to serve his sentence on weekends so that he could continue practising medicine.
May 2011: Accused of having made direct contact with the same woman, in breach of his probation. He is scheduled to answer to this charge on Nov. 1.
September 2011: Accused of assaulting a different woman and violating his probation by failing "to keep the peace and be of good behaviour." This charge will also arise in court on Nov. 1.
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