A man has been sentenced to four months in jail after he pleaded guilty to assaulting a female Elder at a small house party in Fort Simpson last month and assaulting the two RCMP officers who had come to arrest him
Joey Moses, 25, appeared via video in territorial court in Yellowknife on Thursday.
All alleged offenders in NWT Territorial Court who are already in custody are appearing for sentencing by video during the coronavirus threat.
Court heard Moses was drinking with the woman—described as being in her late 60s—on February 27 when there was a dispute.
He elbowed her in the face several times, leaving her with a black eye, court heard.
She did not require medical attention.
Court heard that as he was being arrested outside the home, Moses headbutted one Mountie and kicked the other in the face but neither officer was seriously hurt. It’s unclear whether Moses was in handcuffs at the time.
Court heard he was visiting the community; his hometown was not made clear in court.
Moses will serve a year’s probation once he’s released from custody.
He is also banned from possessing a firearm for five years with a possible hunting exemption.
Moses must also give a sample for the national DNA database.
Taking into account his pre-sentence custody, he will have just under three months left to serve.
Courtroom restrictions enacted
Meanwhile, there are now restrictions on the number of media members and spectators allowed in courtrooms in Yellowknife due to COVID-19.
The spectator number varies depending upon the size of the courtroom; it’s as few as three in the smallest courtroom.
Suffice to say that members of the public who want to attend a case are advised to get there early until the restrictions are lifted.
