Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

DELINE/FORT FRANKLIN
A 30-year-old woman, described by an RCMP officer as "one of the worst people to deal with in Deline," was sentenced to five-and-a-half months in jail in Yellowknife Territorial Court last week.

Joyce Neyelle pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer, a female elder and another Deline resident.

She will have close to four-and-a-half months left to serve, taking into account her pre-trial custody since her arrest on Dec. 22.

While Neyelle's lawyer was seeking a conditional sentence, which doesn't involve jail time, deputy judge Brian Bruser said if Neyelle is released into the community, the public would be at risk.

"I think you need a separation from alcohol," he said. "Imprisonment is necessary."

The first assault Neyelle committed took place on April 25, 2012, after RCMP responded to a complaint about a group of intoxicated people in Deline. Police arrested Neyelle and as officers were escorting her to the RCMP vehicle, she removed her shoe and threw it at an officer, hitting him in the forehead and knocking off his glasses and hat. As Bruser read out the facts of the case on Jan. 18, he said the shoe left an imprint on his face for about a week after the incident.

Bruser read from an RCMP officer's letter, which stated that when Neyelle is intoxicated, she "has so much rage, it's unfathomable." The letter went on to state that when she is sober, she is funny and pleasant to be around.

After her April 25 assault on police, she was released from jail based on conditions, including to stop consuming alcohol, but on May 15, Neyelle was again arrested for being intoxicated. On July 17, she failed to appear in court and a warrant was issued for her arrest.

She was arrested once more on Dec. 22, nine days after another two assaults that occurred in a Deline residence. On Dec. 13., at about 1:04 a.m., RCMP received a call regarding the assault of two people. Neyelle entered the bedroom of a 70-year-old elder's home and struck her in the chest while she was in bed. A man in the residence saw the "backhand swing" and tried to get Neyelle out of the room. Neyelle then punched him in the face with a closed fist.

As she exited the residence, she kicked a door, splitting it in half, lengthwise.

She has been in jail since the last two assaults. Although Neyelle has a criminal record, these incidents were her first violent offences.

She will also have to pay $147.33 to the Deline Housing Association for the damaged door.

She won't be allowed to contact the elder or the man she assaulted on Dec. 13. Her probation order forbids her from consuming alcohol for 12 months upon release. As well, she will have to actively participate in counselling.

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.