SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A man charged earlier this month with two home invasions and two sexual assaults made a brief court appearance on Tuesday. Bobby Zoe, 34, was held in the prisoner's box while he was represented by defence lawyer Paul Falvo. Zoe temporarily waived his right to a bail hearing and was remanded into custody. He is expectede back in court March 17.
Zoe, a convicted sexual offender with a lengthy criminal history, was charged last week in relation to two incidents downtown. According to RCMP, on Feb. 1 a man broke into a home while the residents were at home and sexually assaulted one of them.
Then on Feb. 15 the Mounties say another downtown residence was broken into and again a sexual assault was committed. Zoe was arrested nearby and charged with the Feb. 1 and Feb. 15 offences after the second incident.
Zoe is also charged with two counts of breaching his probation.
He allegedly committed the latest offences after being released early from jail where he had been serving time for a home invasion in October 2013.
Yellowknife RCMP said last week that they will be taking steps to make sure incidents like the two break-ins and sexual assaults are reviewed immediately to determine if a release of information to the public is necessary.
Some residents were upset that the Mounties failed to warn the public after the Feb. 1 incident until the Feb. 15 occurrence, and after Zoe's arrest. There is a publication ban on evidence in both cases.
Man charged in standoff to enter plea
A man charged with two counts of forcible confinement after a standoff at the Northern Lights Motel is to enter a plea to the charges on March 10.
David Brownlee, 37, did not appear in court when the date was agreed to by the Crown prosecutor, defence lawyer Gary Wool and Judge Garth Malakoe.
Brownlee was charged after a nine-hour standoff on Dec. 18 which closed off a one block section of 50 Street. He is facing seven charges in connection with the incident including assault with a weapon. RCMP were called to the motel at about 4:15 that morning.
The standoff ended when heavily armed officers blew open the room door, stormed in and arrested the man who had been barricaded inside. A tactical robot was also used by officers.
Brownlee was released on bail on Feb. 4.
Child porn suspect back in court March 13
A man charged with several child pornography related offences is expected back in court on March 13. Gary Stephen Miller, 62, was charged in May of last year following a nation-wide child porn investigation. On Wednesday, lawyer Peter Harte represented Miller, who did not appear in court in person. Harte told the court that more time is needed to review the extensive evidence, including computer harddrives.
Miller is charged with making, accessing, possessing and making child pornography available.
Computers and other equipment were seized from his Yellowknife home as well as from his employer Dominion Diamond Corp., owner of the Ekati diamond mine.
According to an unsealed warrant, Dominion Diamonds handed over Miller's laptop and external hard drive from the Ekati site to police.
Court documents show that computer files seized during the execution of a warrant contained graphic images of girls as young as six exposing themselves and performing sexual acts with adult men.
Miller, who is currently free on bail, has yet to enter a plea to the charges.
