Baker Lake mayor gets 12 months on probation for assault
Conditional discharge means Shawn Attungala will have no criminal record
Shawn Attungala is sentenced to 12 months’ probation for assault. He is still the mayor of Baker Lake. (File photo)
Updated on Feb. 6, 2019
Baker Lake mayor Shawn Attungala has been sentenced to 12 months’ probation for an assault charge he pleaded guilty to in December.
His sentencing took place during circuit court in the Kivalliq community last week, on Jan. 22.
Judge Neil Sharkey granted Attungala a conditional discharge. This means that once his year of probation is over, he will not have a criminal record.
Attungala pleaded guilty on Dec. 4 to one count of assault that the RCMP said followed a domestic dispute on Sept. 8, 2018.
Conditions of Attungala’s probation forbid him from having direct or indirect contact with the woman he assaulted. As well, any contact with his children must be organized through social services.
Photos in the court file show that the victim was assaulted in the face. She had blood on her face, clothes and hands.
Attungala is under orders to keep the peace. He must also attend any counselling required by his probation officer, including alcohol counselling.
Nunatsiaq News learned from the Crown’s office on Jan. 30 that Attungala’s sentence matches submissions made by defence lawyers, who asked for 12 months’ probation and a conditional discharge.
The Crown made submissions that Attungala should serve 12 months’ probation, but that his sentence should be suspended, meaning he would remain convicted of the assault after his probation was over.
In September hamlet councillors passed a motion of non-confidence in Attungala, and asked him to step down.
The hamlet SAO confirmed on Jan. 30 that Attungala remains the mayor of Baker Lake. Attungala, 44, has been mayor in the Kivalliq community since 2017.
Baker Lake has experienced recent crises, including a nursing shortage at the community health centre and a fire that destroyed a six-bay garage and damaged the hamlet’s water and sewage trucks.
Wadda role model! Wife beater for Mayor. She’s not even healthy, a kidney- receipient. No wonder women are being beatened senseless or murdered becuz our justice system sting. At least make stiff municipal laws, no women beaters can hold office.
My goodness this is just not right that a wife beater can still hold office in Baker Lake as the Mayor…..people you are sending the wrong message. Even a non confidence vote from the members of council did nothing.. that is a crying shame. When this type of sentence is handed down then that makes more women and men for that matter feel they have no recourse what is the point in calling the police as it is the police that lay the charges now not the woman or man. Yes people a man can also be beaten by his spouse. Men are more scared to call for help as their ego is in the way of justice.