Iqaluit man pleads guilty to charges, sentenced to 650 days in jail

An Iqaluit man has been sentenced to 650 days in jail plus two years’ probation after pleading guilty to multiple charges on Wednesday, Dec. 4.

Samolie Lucassie, 27, appeared before Justice Christian Lyons at the Nunavut Court of Justice.

The conditions of Lucassie’s two-year probation period, ordered by Lyons, say he is prohibited from consuming alcohol or hard drugs, using a firearm unless for hunting, and having contact while intoxicated with a woman he pleaded guilty to assaulting.

Lucassie pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including two counts of aggravated assault and three counts of failing to comply with an undertaking.

When a defendant pleads guilty, they give up their right to a trial.

Lucassie sat leaning forward in his chair as the prosecution read out a summary of the facts on each of his charges.

Lucassie was recently charged following an incident on June 8 where he punched a woman “on the right side of her face,” Crown attorney Emma Baasch told the court.

The woman indicated to police that Lucassie had been drinking, which breached a court order that prohibited him from consuming alcohol.

“Police confirmed that both while arresting him and while he was being held in the back of the police vehicle, there was a clear odour of alcohol,” Baasch said.

Lucassie told police that he was acting out as a result of the recent death of his grandmother.

Lucassie was released on recognizance on June 9, after appearing before a justice of the peace, Baasch said.

On June 12, Lucassie was arrested and charged with aggravated assault, forcible confinement, and several other breaches of court orders.

On the afternoon of June 12, the police received a complaint from a man who had fled from a house near the men’s shelter. The man told the police that someone had attacked his friend, Baasch said.

When the police entered the house, they found an injured man. The man who had fled told the police that Lucassie had beaten up his friend.

“He had what appeared to be very serious injuries to his face and head and was bleeding from his nose and mouth,” Baasch said.

The man was taken to the Qikiqtani General Hospital before being medevaced to Ottawa for treatment. The man made a full recovery, Baasch told the court.

Lucassie was in custody from June 12 until June 18, when he was released again, Baasch said.

On June 29, the police responded to a call where they found a man bleeding from the chest area. Baasch said officers received information that the man’s injuries had been caused by Lucassie using a broken wine bottle.

Lucassie, who was intoxicated at the time according to police, was arrested and taken into custody, Baasch said.

“It’s your responsibility to change, no one else’s”

Lyons noted that Lucassie had been previously sentenced to six years in prison for a sexual assault that occurred in 2010.

In 2013, a CBC story reported that Justice Neil Sharkey ruled that Lucassie should be put on the national sex offenders registry and be prohibited from having a firearm for 10 years.

Lucassie also temporarily slipped out of police custody in April 2013 when he was on an escorted pass to the Toonik Tyme hockey tournament.

Alison Crowe, Lucassie’s lawyer, told the court that Lucassie told her he left school in Grade 9. He also loves to hunt, Crowe said.

Lucassie also completed the Alternatives to Violence course at the Makigiarvik Correctional Centre in Iqaluit, which teaches inmates the skills and strategies they need to keep them from committing future crimes and help them reintegrate into the community, according to an annual report from Nunavut’s Division of Corrections.

“It’s clear from my dealings with Mr. Lucassie that his issues are a combination of lack of education and alcohol addiction,” Crowe told the court.

Crowe agreed with the 650-day sentence and two year probation order put forward by the Crown.

Crowe added that Lucassie’s situation is “sadly a reflection of a particular difficulty that is faced in Nunavut by, especially young, Inuit men.”

“That does not excuse any of his behaviour. But this is the time in which the court can craft a sentence that would assist him to move past that. And hopefully to assist him in not returning to court because of these issues.”

Lyons turned to Lucassie, who sat next to Crowe with his hands in his lap.

“Is there anything you want to say to me? I’m happy to hear anything you have to say,” Lyons said.

“My problem is alcohol,” Lucassie said.

Lucassie said he had been taking programs during his previous sentence to fight his addiction.

Lyons urged Lucassie to use his time in jail to work on anger management and his alcohol addiction.

“If you don’t get a handle on your drinking, you’re probably going to kill somebody one day. You may not even remember doing it. But you’ve got an anger inside of you, right?”

Lucassie nodded, looking at Lyons from his seat in the courtroom.

“You’ve got some hard choices to make. I don’t think you’re a person who should ever drink alcohol again. You’re a bad drunk. It brings out the worst in you. I know there’s probably a reason for your anger, things I expect have happened to you over your life and you’re angry about,” Lyons said.

“By now, you know enough about yourself. You know what you’re capable of when you’re drinking. It’s no excuse to drink and then hurt people.”

“A life in jail is no life for anybody. I don’t think you want to hurt people,” Lyons added.

“It’s your responsibility to change, no one else’s.”