Crown, defence seek 9-year sentence for man in manslaughter of partner

Both the Crown and the defence for a man who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the beating and stabbing death of his are asking the judge for a sentence of nine years.

“What happened that day will never disappear, no matter what the court does today,” said Crown lawyer Philippe Plourde. “Even if the court imposed a life sentence, that would not remove the impact of what happened that day.”

At the beginning of the hearing on Wednesday in Pond Inlet, Plourde read from an agreed statement of facts. The Nunavut Court of Justice provided Nunatsiaq News a link to an audio stream to cover Wednesday’s hearing.

On April 8, 2023 the accused, Daryl Quaraq, 35, and the victim Joanne Nutarak, who was 31, at the time, and several others had spent the afternoon drinking at a house party in the home of Nutarak’s aunt. Over a few hours, the five adults consumed multiple bottles of vodka. All five adults became highly intoxicated.

Two of the couple’s children were in the house playing.

Nutarak passed out and was carried to a bedroom by Quaraq, while Nutarak’s aunt fell asleep on a couch. The remainder of the adults left while Quaraq stayed. 

Some time later, Quaraq took the children to his mother’s home and then returned to the home.

“There are no witnesses to say what happened at the house between when the adults left and the time that Joanne’s body was found,” Plourde said.

Later that day, Quaraq was seen at the Northern store, buying fuel and food. A store employee noted that Quaraq had blood on his hands and on his jacket. He then spent four days out on the land, before he eventually returned to the hamlet.

Several witnesses found Nutarak’s body in the home, but none were able to determine what happened. Emergency services were called to the home at 5:30 p.m. Nutarak was taken to the Pond Inlet health centre where she was later declared deceased at 6:45 p.m.

An autopsy performed by Dr. Christopher Milroy,  professor and forensic pathologist at the University of Ottawa, determined the cause of death to be stab wounds to the heart. In determining the cause of death, Milroy identified multiple stab wounds on Nutarak’s body along with bruising on her face, arms, legs and chest and abrasions on her face.

Quaraq later admitted to the assault and having a knife that belonged to Nutarak, but did not recall what happened. He said he blacked out.

The couple had been in a relationship for approximately 10 years and had four children together. 

“The criminal record in my submission is extensive, it is violent. It shows a propensity for violence, particularly on Joanne,” Plourde said.

Quaraq has an extensive criminal history involving alcohol and violence against Nutarak. Plourde detailed four criminal convictions going back to June 2020 that involved alcohol and violence against Nutarak. He read statements made by Quaraq during those convictions, where he acknowledged his problems with alcohol and jealousy, leading to violence against Nutarak and promised to quit drinking alcohol.

“What we see is a pattern of violence ignited or fuelled by alcohol, which is clearly a triggering factor … a recipe for disaster.”

The Crown and defence made a joint submission recommending a sentence of nine years imprisonment.

Justice Mark Mossey will deliver his sentence on Thursday in Pond Inlet.