Man who pulled 'improvised knife' on worker, escaped Whitehorse youth offender facility sentenced to 10 months
CBC
A man from the N.W.T. who pulled a shiv on a guard at the Whitehorse youth offender facility last year before starting a riot and escaping with another inmate was sentenced to 10 months' custody.
While the man was 19 at the time and charged as an adult, he was also facing a murder charge in the N.W.T. that was laid against him when he was a youth. CBC News is not naming him as a result.
He pleaded guilty to one count of forcibly breaking out of a cell with intent to escape and assault with a weapon in Yukon territorial court on April 17.
The man was among the inmates brought to Whitehorse during Yellowknife's wildfire-related evacuation last summer. An agreed statement of facts filed to the court after his guilty pleas states that a youth service worker working at the facility told police that staff were required to move the man into a different room on Aug. 22, 2023.
The service worker went into the man's room, at which point the man "presented a sharp object in his hand and then walked towards" him.
The worker and other staff "retreated to the facility's control room," the agreed statement of facts continues, and the man left his cell, "to destroy furniture in the common area and [activate] the fire alarm."
The fire alarm unlocked the doors of the facility. The man and another person then fled the building, triggering a manhunt focused on the forest behind Yukon University that included the Yukon RCMP's police dog services and emergency response team.
Officers were able to locate and arrest the two without incident. Police later found "a piece of a toothbrush taped with gauze and a metal sharp pin" in the forest that the youth service worker said was the same "improvised knife" the man had pulled on him.
The man was sentenced to 10 months for forcibly breaking out of his cell and six months for the assault with a weapon, to be served concurrently. However, with credit for time spent in pre-trial custody, his sentence was automatically considered served.
The Crown stayed three other charges against the man, including being unlawfully at large, carrying a weapon and mischief over $5,000.
Separately, the man is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in relation to the shooting death of Jordan Tourangeau in Fort Smith, N.W.T. in 2022.
The government of Saskatchewan has announced plans to reduce the length of non-resident game bird hunting licences to combat illegal guiding.
An 87-year-old Alberta man is fighting extradition to the United Kingdom to stand trial for historical allegations of physical and sexual assault involving minors.
Eight casinos across southwest B.C. have been sold to First Nations in the last two years, with the province's gambling scene set to be reshaped as a result.
Hamilton hosts the Junos Sunday, and the musical awards show is bringing tourists, musicians, concerts and a ton of themed events to the city this week.
The multi-million-dollar deal at the heart of a high-profile fight between the Canadian government and one of the world’s biggest carmakers contains multiple clauses about the company’s footprint in Ontario, according to a copy obtained by CBC Windsor.
In recent months, Calgary police have carried out three day-long safety blitzes, parading out dozens of officers to flood an area with their increased presence — at least, temporarily.
A national organization is seeking people with experience in Canada's forestry sector as they put together a working group that will examine ways to improve forest recovery following wildfires.
Ella Heyder is bracing for a breakup, even though she already moved out decades ago.
Shawne Hopkins never saw it coming.
Politicians return to Queen’s Park Monday for a shortened spring session, as Premier Doug Ford prepares to unveil his eight budget amid heightened global economic uncertainty.
Despite a recent announcement that a water supply pipeline will be build in Oneida Nation of the Thames, some members of the community say that's no excuse for taking water for granted.
As scandal has swirled around former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, questions and curiosity have also focused on his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, and their daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.
Friday may have been the first day of spring, but winter storms are not over yet for Newfoundland.