A woman will spend the next three months under house arrest after pleading guilty to a number of charges, including assault.
In Inuvik Territorial Court, Linda Ann Firth pleaded guilty to two counts of breach of probation, two counts of failure to comply with a recognizance and one count of assault. Judge Garth Malakoe placed her under house arrest for 90 days and then on probation for a year upon completion of her sentence.
"I just want to apologize for not obeying my conditions," said Firth in her defence. "I want to get sober and take advantage of any help I can get to get back on the right path again.
"I just hope I have a better future in 2021."
Crown prosecutor Matthew Scott told court Firth was released on 18 months probation Oct. 24, 2019. One of the conditions of her probation was to not be in contact with her partner.
But on Oct. 31, a roommate of her partner called police, reporting Firth was at their home, intoxicated and yelling. Police located her on the doorstep of the home and arrested her.
Three days later, another occupant of the building called police, complaining Firth was there, throwing rocks at the window. When police first searched the area, she had left, but on a second pass they found Firth near a window and arrested her.
Just over a week later, on Nov. 13 Firth was found with her partner in breach of her release conditions again when police received a complaint about a fight at a local grocery store shortly after noon. Surveillance footage showed Firth approach her partner in the aisle and began punching him. She then left, but returned a few moments later and punch him in the face and pushed him into the shopping cart.
Police located her a few blocks down the street and arrested her. She was released on a recognizance with the requirement to stay away from her partner.
Police then received a call from Firth on Dec. 11, shortly after 10 a.m. saying her partner had hit her in the head with a pop can and had tried to stab her with a knife and she needed to go to the hospital.
Police spoke to witnesses who said the two were arguing, and that Firth had been there for at least five hours — breaching a curfew requiring her to be indoors at night. Police then received another report about the pair fighting. They located them and arrested both of them.
Scott added that Firth had missed several appointments with her probation officer over the course of the year, though had made efforts to make up for the meetings.
"Certainly your honour knows intimate partner violence is a scourge in this territory," said Scott, who added much of Firth's problems were rooted in structural racism. "The crown is concerned with the ongoing effects of colonization.
"An important message to send is, for those who are willing to address the underlying conditions of their difficulties the opportunity should be presented. The public interest is best defended by giving her another try."
Noting Firth had been scheduled to attend addictions counselling, defence lawyer Peter Harte told court her therapy had to be cancelled due to a Covid-19 outbreak at the facility.
He added Firth's legal issues were deeply intertwined with her partner, who was also facing matters before the court. He detailed numerous difficulties Firth had experienced growing up, which Inuvik Drum has chosen not to publish to respect her privacy.
"It's a situation that appears to be going both ways," he said. "This is not a situation where we're dealing with one party exerting control over the other.
"She's ultimately here because of history. She learned to deal with these traumatic events with alcohol."
Judge Malakoe accepted the joint submission, but cautioned Firth to stay focused on taking her life back.
"If this fails, it will be hard for you to come before the court again and say we should have another conditional sentence," he said. "This is your opportunity to succeed, but also your opportunity to fail. There is no margin for error.
"We all want you to succeed in this."