SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Two Old Town business owners appeared in territorial court Tuesday and stated their intentions to plead guilty to charges they purchased fish from a person without a commercial licence.

On Nov. 25, both Sam Bullock, owner of Bullock's Bistro, and Bud Weaver, operator of Weaver & Devore Trading Ltd., appeared separately before Justice Garth Malakoe to enter pleas relating to the alleged Fisheries Act violations.

Some complication arose when Bullock stated he was entering guilty pleas on behalf of himself and Bullock's Bistro Ltd. Crown prosecutor Trevor Johnson said he was not aware Bullock was also going to enter on behalf of his company.

Ultimately, Malakoe elected not to accept either man's guilty plea, citing this confusion and the fact that a lawyer was not present for either accused.

"I'm not going to mark the guilty plea but it's understood that ... You will enter a guilty plea," Malakoe said.

Both men are set to appear in court to enter their pleas and for sentencing Jan. 13.

Delay in Stanton lawsuit due to illness

A woman's lawsuit alleging a small piece of metal was left inside her body during gallbladder surgery in the early 1990s has been delayed until 2016.

Darlene Larabie is suing Stanton Territorial Hospital and three surgeons who used to work there over the incident.

A full-day special chambers hearing was scheduled in NWT Supreme Court on Tuesday, however, Larabie, who lives in Edmonton and was appearing by telephone, requested an adjournment, citing illness. She did not say in court whether this illness was linked to the medical treatment she received at Stanton more than 20 years ago.

Larabie currently does not have legal representation.

"I have been trying," she told Justice Andrew Mahar. "I have called a lot of lawyers here in Edmonton and I just can't find one."

Mahar agreed to adjourn the case until next year, reminding the complainant that if she going to allege facts she must file affidavits with the court.

Legal counsel for one of the accused doctors also appeared by telephone. There was no representation by Stanton Territorial Hospital present during the brief proceedings. Requests for information from the Department of Health and Social Services were not returned by press time.

Hearing set for woman accused of murder

A preliminary hearing date has been set in the case of a woman accused of killing her common-law partner in Ndilo earlier this year.

Beverley Anne Villeneuve faces second degree murder charges in the death of Archie Paulette. On Tuesday, a three-day preliminary hearing into the case was set by Crown prosecutor Alex Godfrey that will begin May 4. This hearing will determine whether there is sufficient evidence for the case to go before a judge in Supreme Court.

Villeneuve also faces two charges relating to the deceased from December 2014 - assault with a weapon and possession of a weapon for dangerous

purposes.

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