Nunavut cop killer guilty of first-degree murder

Pingoatuk Kolola’s defence lawyer, Andy Mahar, speaks to reporters at around 2:00 p.m. March 12, outside the Iqaluit courthouse building. “This is probably the saddest case I’ve ever had to deal with,” Mahar said.

Douglas Scott Sr. and Marla Scott, the parents of RCMP Const. Douglas Scott, speak to reporters in Iqaluit Thursday shortly after Douglas Scott’s killer, Pingoatuk Kolola, was found guilty of first-degree murder. (PHOTO BY CHRIS WINDEYER)

Updated 5:30 p.m. March 11

After nearly four days of deliberation, an 11-person jury has found Pingoatuk Kolola guilty of first-degree murder.

Kolola shot and killed RCMP Const. Doug Scott in Kimmirut in November 2007 and has been in custody ever since.

“This is probably the saddest case I’ve ever had to deal with. A family lost a lovely young man. Another family lost a father [of] six kids. All for a moment of basically pointless violence and there’s just no happy ending to this for anybody,” defence lawyer Andy Mahar told reporters after the verdict was read.

Several jurors and families of both the victim and the accused wept as the foreman read the verdict. As the jury was led out of the courtroom, several members could be heard wailing in sorrow as they walked down the hall.

The jury was given a choice between convicting Kolola of first-degree murder or on the lesser charge of manslaughter.

“We can be confident that justice was done in the case. The verdict represents the position taken by the Crown and we’re satisfied,” Crown prosecutor Susanne Boucher said.

“It was a very serious case and they heard evidence over a couple of weeks and they wanted to review much of the details of the trial. It seemed that they were putting very careful thought into the matter,” Boucher added.

Kolola is scheduled to appear for sentencing at 9:30 a.m. March 12.

First-degree murder carries a mandatory minimum sentence of life imprisonment, without no parole eligibility for 25 years.

At a news conference Thursday afternoon in Iqaluit, Marla Scott, Doug’s mother, said she is pleased with the verdict, despite the four-day wait.

“Although it will never replace the loss of Dougie, it is a comfort to know that the person responsible has been held accountable to the extent of the law,” she said.

“It is our hope that this [verdict] will serve as a strong statement to those who put so little value on the life of a fellow human being. We would like to extend our gratitude to those individuals and communities that gathered strength to do the right thing in coming forward to assist the justice system to achieve a conviction.”

Kolola showed little emotion during the trial, apart from brief flashes of a smile directed to members of his own family during court sessions Wednesday and Thursday.

Kolola’s stoicism didn’t sit well with Douglas Scott Sr., Const. Scott’s father.

“The toughest part was when he [Kolola] sat there so calmly and didn’t show any emotion or any regret,” he said.

Scott’s family remembered Doug as a competitive person who pushed himself to achieve and who was embracing life in the small hamlet of Kimmirut.

Douglas Scott Sr. wept as he described his son as mature beyond his years.

“The more people he could meet and talk to and hear their stories, he just thrived on that,” Marla said.

Supt. Steve McVarnock, the commanding officer of RCMP V Division, said the verdict “does not bring any joy to anyone in this room.”

McVarnock said Scott’s murder was devastating for the young officer’s family, his colleagues, the community of Kimmirut, and for Kolola and his family.

“There are no winners,” he said. “And there’s nothing that the court can do [at sentencing] that is going to mitigate that sting. We can’t bring Doug back.”

McVarnock said the deaths of Scott, and Const. Christopher Worden in Hay River, NWT a month before, accelerated new backup rules for RCMP officers in remote communities. He added the RCMP will also conduct gun safety courses and increase the number of police vehicles in Nunavut this year.