Man handed two-year sentence for January assault in Iqaluit
Judge rejects joint submission by Crown and defence lawyers; gives higher sentence
Darren Arreak has been sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to an assault. (File photo)
A judge has sentenced an Iqaluit man who assaulted his partner to two years in prison and 24 months probation, rejecting a joint submission by Crown and defence lawyers for a lesser sentence.
On Jan. 19, RCMP received a call from a victim who alleged her long-term partner, Darren Arreak, had punched her in the head about three times two days earlier, according to Justice Mark Mossey’s decision published Wednesday.
Arreak “resisted and fought” officers and tried to hit one of them during the arrest, Mossey wrote. Arreak was charged and then released Jan. 23 on the condition that he have no contact with the victim. The next day, he visited her house.
In March, Arreak pleaded guilty to the assault charge, along with obstructing the police and failing to comply with release and probation orders, which included not contacting the victim.
This was Arreak’s fourth conviction for assault against his partner in the past several months.
After the plea, Crown prosecutor Darcy Feagan and Arreak’s lawyer Marie-Josée Lafleur proposed a seven-month jail sentence along with 12 months probation, which would have prohibited him from contacting the victim during that period.
However, during her victim impact statement, Arreak’s victim said he “would not follow rules to leave her alone once he was released,” Mossey wrote.
So Mossey rejected the lawyers’ submission, as it “would not be in the public’s interest,” and instead handed down the lengthier sentence.
Good news to hear. Its good to see that domestic violence is being taken serious and showing it is now the time for victims to feel safety in their own home and community.
I hope this continues in order to protect any future victims from these abusive individuals. Alainai! Accountability and rehabilitation.
Yes I agree, hopefully this can be a benchmark for everyone who commit assault on their partners. On both sides.
It looks like it took a string of offenses and real harm for him to end up with only two years. With time-served credit, he’s likely already halfway done. Nunavut’s justice system is too lenient and keeps coddling offenders. Look at what it took to get two years—absurd. You public have no clue.