Break-in spree may lead to justice committee

A homeless man accused of breaking into people’s homes in Iqaluit is going before Iqaluit’s restorative justice committee.

Aaron Phillip Akulukjuk, 20, is charged with 20 counts of break and enter, four counts of vehicle theft and two counts of possession of property obtained by a crime. The events are alleged to have occurred over a seven-month period beginning in December 2001.

Akuklukjuk had been in custody at the Baffin Correctional Centre since June 28.

“It’s been [over] 90 days without a bail hearing and we don’t want him languishing in remand indefinitely,” Mackay said.

Mackay, who was acting as duty counsel, said Akulukjuk broke into homes to shower and eat “bowls of cereal” after his stepfather kicked him out of the house.

“He’ll have no problem getting a job. He just needs a place to stay,” Mackay said.

Akulukjuk is now living at the Oqota emergency shelter temporarily.

As of press-time, lawyers were deciding if Akulukjuk should go before Iqaluit’s restorative justice committee.

Restorative justice committees typically intervene in cases of non-violent crimes and act a means of easing the court system’s backlog of cases.