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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A man accused of robbing a Yellowknife cabbie and attempting to rob another taxi driver the same night last December appeared in court yesterday to address a future preliminary inquiry.

Sean Qitsualik and his co-accused, Brent Michael, each face two counts of robbery and two charges of disguising their faces with intent to commit an offence. The latter offence can carry a maximum prison term of 10 years.

On these charges, Qitsualik has entered a not guilty plea and has chosen to be tried before a judge and jury. Michael has yet to enter a plea.

Qitsualik is scheduled to be in court next on Feb. 7, the same day Michael is set to address details for his preliminary inquiry.

On Jan. 25, Qitsualik pleaded guilty to a number of unrelated charges.

The most serious charge he faced in court last week was that he stole money from Willy's convenience store near the Monkey Tree Gas Bar on Jan. 8. He pleaded guilty and Judge Bernadette Schmaltz sentenced him to 60 days in jail and one year's probation. As Qitsualik had already served 20 days in custody at the time of his sentencing, he has 40 days left to serve.

"The purpose (of the sentence) is so that he doesn't go back to Willy's and he gets the counselling that he needs," said prosecutor Marc Lecorre, who represented the Crown during last week's sentencing.

Qitsualik was also ordered to pay $200 restitution to the owner of Willy's convenience store within six months of being released.

However, his release could be delayed beyond the 40 days remaining in his sentence because Qitsualik has consented to remaining in jail until the robbery charges have been dealt with.

He was also charged with 14 other violations of the terms keeping him out of jail. Qitsualik pleaded guilty to breaking curfew by failing to be in his residence at the Salvation Army on time, and in exchange the rest of these charges were withdrawn by the Crown. For that crime, he received one day in jail.

As well, he was fined $300 for failing to report to the RCMP, which was a term of his parole.

Unlike the charges prosecuted in court last week, the remaining charges against Qitsualik are indictable offenses and would carry harsher penalties if he is found guilty.

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