Ell, ill, misses court appearance

A man arrested in a recent stand-off with police in Iqaluit won’t appear in court until next year.

Jerry Ell was unable to come to court on Monday because he is currently in a hospital in Manitoba for unknown reasons.

A lawyer representing Ell said his client wouldn’t likely be able to come to court until next year.

Ell faces numerous charges, including sexual assault, two counts of assault, resisting arrest, disarming a peace officer and unsafe storage of a firearm.

Ell was working in Iqaluit, most recently as the executive director of the Nunavut Economic Forum. In the past, he was president of the Qikiqtaaluk Corp., and has also tried unsuccessfully to get elected to the legislative assembly, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., and the Baffin Regional Inuit Association.

Ell is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 7.