SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A violent sex offender who was the subject of a rare public warning by police earlier this year has been found not guilty of one of the charges facing him after the court learned a seizure prevented him from checking in with police.

Territorial court judge Garth Malakoe nonetheless found 44-year-old Jonah Keyuajuk guilty Dec. 4 of a second charge involving breached court conditions. He remains in jail awaiting his sentence.

Keyuajuk, originally from Pangnirtung, was barely out of prison when police picked him up Aug. 27 for failing to abide by his curfew imposed upon his release.

The offender has numerous violent and sex-related convictions on his criminal record. Most recently, Keyuajuk was serving two years and seven days for assault with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm and assault - use of force. Court was told by a prosecutor during an earlier appearance that Keyuajuk "has not had any crime-free periods of any significant period since the late 1980s." A 2014 psychological assessment diagnosed him as a psychopath.

On Dec. 4, Malakoe accepted Keyuajuk's explanation that he couldn't meet police on Sept. 19 after suffering a seizure while walking on the McMahon Frame Lake Trail but admonished him for not turning himself in until 7 p.m. the following evening.

Keyuajuk was free at the time after earlier pleading guilty to breaching his curfew following his release from prison.

Keyuajuk admitted he had walked past city hall on his way to his friend's house to watch some movies. City hall is next door to RCMP headquarters.

"There may have been other things Mr. Keyuajuk could have done," said Malakoe. "Watching movies cannot be an excuse."

Crown prosecutor Maren Zimmer asked Keyuajuk if he recalled what a judge at a previous hearing had told him about breaching his conditions again, that he could face up to two years in jail if he did it again.

"You remember you were told that the consequences would be greater if you did it again?" said Zimmer.

Keyuajuk said he did.

Keyuajuk told the court he awoke from the seizure in a daze and walked to a friend's house near Bruno's Pizza where he stayed the night, awoke around 10 a.m. and watched movies before reporting to police at the Salvation Army on the evening of Sept. 20. He has been in custody since then.

Under cross examination from his attorney Charles Davison, Keyuajuk said he has suffered from seizures since he was 11 months old. He said he takes a number of prescribed medications, including gabapentin, a seizure medicine. He said despite his medications he still suffers seizures from time to time and said he had taken his medication on the night in question. Keyuajuk said he thought of walking to Stanton Territorial Hospital when he felt the seizure coming on. He then lost track of time.

"My father never wore a watch, and so I never wear a watch," he said.

Davison said his client was prepared to proceed with sentencing that day but the prosecutor asked for an adjournment so the Crown could have time to provide more evidence on Keyuajuk's previous breaches of court orders.

"It goes to the gravity of the breach and the order being composed for the protection of the public," he said.

Malakoe scheduled Keyuajuk to appear for sentencing next Monday.

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