Raw emotions were laid bare in a Yellowknife courtroom Friday morning as a judge found a Ndilo man guilty of two counts of sexual assault and one count of forcible confinement.
Peter Tsetta, 50, was found not guilty on another count of forcible confinement.
He swore at his victim after she swore at him moments after the judge released her decision.
The charges stem from two incidents back in 2017 where Tsetta sexually assaulted two victims in his Ndilo home.
In the second attack, in June of that year, the judge believed the victim who testified that Tsetta also held her against her will and sexually assaulted her several times over several hours.
He was out on bail for the first attack when he committed the second offence.
Tsetta and the victim were able to come face-to-face in the courtroom because prisoners are no longer taken from the courtroom through a separate door while renovations continue in the basement holding cells.
An RCMP officer quickly stepped in to ensure there was no physical contact between the two.
Tsetta put his head in his hands after the judge announced her verdict, while the victim burst into tears as did some of her supporters.
She expressed her relief and satisfaction to CKLB outside the courthouse following the verdict.
Tsetta’s first victim has since passed away.
He was found not guilty of forcibly confining her but guilty of sexually assaulting her.
The maximum sentence for sexual assault is ten years in prison as it is for forcible confinement.
Tsetta, who has been in custody since his arrest in June of 2017, is to be back in court on August 19 to set a date for a sentencing hearing.
A sentencing date for him had not been announced as of late this morning.
In another high profile case Friday morning, Behchoko resident Joseph Beaverho was sentenced to two years of house arrest after he pleaded guilty to stealing more than 120 thousand dollars from a fund set up to help Behchoko students pursue post secondary-education.
Beaverho admitted he stole the money over a two-year period between 2010 and 2012 to feed a gambling addiction.
He will only be allowed off his property for specific reasons such as a medical emergency or to attend church.
Beaverho must also perform 180 hours of community service work and is subject to drug and alcohol testing.
He has not been ordered to repay any of the money as court heard he has no real access to any income.
The judge said that Beaverho had betrayed his community by possibly depriving students of a chance to attend university or college.
And in another hearing Friday morning, it was decided that a Tuktoyaktuk man will remain in custody until August 21st when he will be sentenced for breaking into a home in that community and sexually touching children.
Representatives of the NWT Corrections Department, including John Nahanni, warden of the North Slave Correctional Complex (NSCC) were in court after providing affidavits to the judge as to what they can do to try to find a treatment bed somewhere in Canada for Gilbert Katigakyok.
The 25-year-old repeat sexual offender suffers from Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).
When and if he is released on the 21st, the probation department will then have two months to report back to the court as to whether officials have found him a treatment bed.
His lawyer Peter Harte has often complained about the lack of services for prisoners in the NWT who suffer with FASD.
He was satisfied with the day’s proceedings but stressed he wants to see his client released from jail immediately after his next court appearance.