Victim’s family members share their anguish at killer’s sentencing

Jeffrey Salomonie, sentenced to life in prison for the brutal murder of Daisy Curly in 2009, will be 68 before he’s eligible for parole. (FILE PHOTO)

Jeffrey Salomonie, 48, has been sentenced to life in prison for the first-degree murder of Iqaluit resident Daisy Curley in May 2009.

Justice Neil Sharkey delivered the sentence at Nunavut’s Court of Justice in Iqaluit April 7, two days after he found Salomonie guilty of first-degree murder April 5 following a judge-only trial earlier this year.

“We will never likely know with any precision what happened that night, and what led to Jeffrey’s rage and the precise details surrounding this event. Even to speculate about this is an unproductive emotional investment,” Sharkey said before delivering his sentence.

Salomonie beat Curley repeatedly with a hockey stick at her Happy Valley home in Iqaluit, before he sexually assaulted her and left Curley to die from her injuries in the early morning hours of May 20, 2009.

Salomonie’s mandatory life sentence carries an automatic 25-year period of parole ineligibility.

At the request of Crown lawyers, Sharkey imposed a lifetime firearms ban, as well as an order to enter Salomonie’s DNA into the nationwide database of sex offenders.

Salomonie addressed the court in Inuktitut briefly before the sentence was delivered, but did not apologize to the family for his actions.

“I would like to say a few things. To Daisy’s family, I pray for them every day for assistance from God, for help from God for them. That is all I wanted to say,” he said before sitting down.

But the majority of the morning’s court session was reserved for Daisy Curley’s relatives, who spoke to the court about the anguish they feel, and the void left by Daisy’s murder.

“I would consider her death was caused by her friendliness,” Ookalik Curley, Daisy’s mother, told the court between uncontrollable sobs.

Other members of the Curley family present in court were overcome with grief as Ookalik gave her statement.

“Although she wasn’t very talkative to me, I know she was very sincere and welcoming to others and cared for others and she always made sure I was okay,” Ookalik Curley continued.

Curley broke down several times during her statement, but forced herself through her remarks remembering Daisy as a caring daughter and mother who loved children and was dedicated to her family.

The family, said Curley, is impacted by Daisy’s death every day.

Curley told Sharkey that she still lives in the house where Daisy’s broken and half-naked body was found by her two brothers on the living room floor May 24, 2009, nearly five days after she was last seen at the Storehouse Bar, drinking with Salomonie.

“I cleaned up the blood spatter that Jeffrey left, he caused it and I cleaned it up,” she said in anger.

“Arranging to have repairs done to the damage, to remove anything that would remind anyone, not just me, but my children and grandchildren. Holes on the wall, blood spatter, damage. I can’t move to another house. I am a homeowner.”

Daisy’s biological father, Tom Curley, addressed the court from his home in Arviat.

“I will never forgive you Jeffrey. I will never ever forgive you. I can’t. You took away my daughter,” he said.

“It’s very hard to think about her because I’ll start crying and get angry with myself. The worst part was to hear the other day how brutal [the attack was], after hearing about it I don’t think I’ll ever be the same again.”

Crown lawyer Doug Garson said Daisy’s greatest gift was the love she gave to others, particularly her young niece, who spoke to Daisy every day on the phone.

“It was when those calls stopped on May 20 [2009] it became apparent that something happened and there was a problem,” Garson said.

Salomonie, who has already spent five years in custody awaiting trial since his arrest in 2011, will have that time counted towards his 25-year parole ineligibility.

Defense lawyer James Morton told Sharkey that Salomonie has spent his time in custody without incident, and spends much of his time making artwork and consulting the Bible.

“Alcohol was a driving factor [in this case],” Morton said.

During his testimony Feb. 2, Salomonie maintained he had no memory of beating or sexually assaulting Daisy because of his extreme intoxication.

“It was a dreadful homicide, but all homicides are dreadful… Our submission is that Jeffrey is not beyond redemption.”

Morton reminded the court that Salomonie entered a plea of manslaughter at the onset of his trial Feb. 1.

The Crown ultimately rejected that plea and chose to pursue a first-degree murder charge.

Sharkey said that the issue of parole would be left to another court in 20 years time.

“To the many good people of Nunavut who have followed this case, all of these Nunavummiut reach out in spirit to comfort the Curley family,” Sharkey said to the Curley family members present in the courtroom.

“[They] share their grief, by crying not just for them, but with them.”

Salomonie will be 68 before he can apply to the parole board in 2036.