Nunavut court copes with video-conference bloopers, heckling inmate

The Nunavut Court of Justice got through another docket day Dec. 16, but not until after a series of technical glitches and interruptions. (FILE PHOTO)

Justice Robert Kilpatrick made it through a strange docket court session at the Nunavut Court of Justice in Iqaluit Dec. 16, but only after a series of technological bloopers and other annoyances.

That included a man in custody at the Baffin Correctional Centre in Iqaluit who heckled him via video-conference and another man in custody who walked out of BCC’s video-conference room in the middle of his court appearance.

All this occurred as lawyers dealt with scheduling issues related to two high-profile Nunavut homicide cases.

First, Jeffrey Killikte, charged in connection with an incident alleged to have occurred in Pond Inlet in late September that left a 43-year old man dead, appeared before Kilpatrick via video-conference from BCC.

Crown lawyer Scott Wheildon told Kilpatrick that more forensic analysis related to Killikte’s charge is expected in late January and requested a postponement until February.

Kilpatrick scheduled Killikte’s next appearance for Feb. 2 in Iqaluit.

Next, Gabriel Bruce of Coral Harbour, charged with two counts of sexual assault and four counts of assault, appeared from BCC through a video link.

At the same time, his lawyer, Morna Boyle, represented Bruce via a telephone link from Rankin Inlet’s legal aid office.

After Kilpatrick agreed to Boyle’s request to have Bruce’s charges put over until Rankin Inlet’s next circuit court dates, Feb. 9 and Feb. 10, Bruce interrupted the judge.

“Mr. Robert Kilpatrick,” Bruce said very slowly. “Can you do something for me?”

Kilpatrick stopped talking to Boyle, mid-sentence.

“My daughter was only three years old when…”, Bruce began saying, holding up three fingers. His defence lawyer interrupted him.

“When I talk to you, we can talk about your daughter,” Boyle said over the phone.

A BCC guard began leading Bruce out of the video-conference room, but Bruce, who did not resist the guard, wasn’t finished.

“Mr. Robert Kilpatrick, you should go back to your home country, we don’t need…” Bruce said, his sentence trailing off as he was led away.

“Please stop talking,” Boyle said over her client’s voice.

Kilpatrick then asked for Steven Akittirq to be brought into the BCC video-conference room, but was told by a BCC guard that an “incident” was transpiring.

After a four-minute delay the BCC guard informed Kilpatrick that the incident had been dealt with and led Akittirq into the room.

Akittirq faces a first degree murder charge in connection with a death alleged to have occurred in or near Igloolik this past June.

Police laid the charge after the body of a deceased woman was found just outside the community.

Akittirq’s lawyer, Alison Crowe, told Kilpatrick she’s waiting for more disclosure from the Crown, particularly DNA analysis and photos from an autopsy of the deceased.

But before Kilpatrick could respond, an incoming teleconference call rang through the courtroom speakers.

Kilpatrick answered the call: an officer at an out-of-territory correctional facility, involved in a different matter on the same day’s court docket, identified himself.

Kilpatrick agreed to deal with the matter for which the officer had called, before finishing Akittirq’s matter.

Neither Crown nor defence lawyers objected.

But about five minutes into the interruption, Akittirq could be seen leaving the video-conference room at BCC.

Kilpatrick dealt with the officer on teleconference for another five minutes, during which another incoming teleconference call came in—but was not answered.

When Kilpatrick turned his attention back to Akittirq, a BCC guard informed the judge that Akittirq, upset at the interruption, had left.

Kilpatrick scheduled Akittirq’s next court date for Feb. 2 in Iqaluit, and asked Crowe to apologize to her client for the interruption.

“No disrespect was intended to Steven,” Kilpatrick said.