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Resolute Bay woman gets 2.5 year sentence in stabbing death of Pond Inlet man

Nunavut Court of Justice 3

Editor's note: This story contains graphic details that may be disturbing to some readers.

A woman from Resolute Bay has been sentenced to two-and-a-half years behind bars for repeatedly stabbing and killing a Pond Inlet man in 2018.

However, due to credit for time served in jail while awaiting the completion of her court case, she is no longer incarcerated for manslaughter and has begun her three years of probation, which entails a lengthy list of conditions.

Before announcing the sentence, Justice Bonnie Tulloch advised Stephan Enoogoo's family that "the criminal process is not an instrument of vengeance nor an instrument of appeasement. The length of sentence is not and cannot be an attempt to place a value on Stephan’s life."

On Nov. 8, 2018 at approximately 10:55 p.m., the police were notified of a stabbing. Alicia Manik, covered in blood, met the Pond Inlet RCMP in the driveway upon their arrival at a residence and she confessed, “I stabbed Stephan (Enoogoo) and you guys need to check on him.”

Police found a severely-injured Enoogoo in his home. A nurse was called to to the scene and Enoogoo was declared dead at 11:50 p.m. Manik was arrested and placed in cells.

Enoogoo and Manik had been drinking vodka inside House 554 that night. A relative of Enoogoo said he gets angry when he drinks.

Manik told police that Enoogoo, who began dating her about a month earlier and took her in while homeless, suddenly snapped and started punching her head. At one point, he grabbed a knife and said “You want me to kill you now?”

When she tried to get away, he blocked her path to the front door and started punching her, she said. That's when the stabbing ensued.

An autopsy found that the victim had several stab wounds to his body, two of which penetrated the heart. There was also blood under the knuckles of both of Enoogoo’s fists and scratch marks existed on his face and body.

Manik, a 25-year-old mother of two children who are no longer in her care, acknowledged she has an addiction to alcohol and drugs, which has contributed to her inability to maintain a job and a place to live. She admitted that she has contemplated suicide "too many times to count." She has multiple scars on her arms and legs that she says are from self-harm.

Her defence lawyer requested either a suspended sentence and one to two years of probation or one year in jail with probation.

The Crown prosecutor recommended a sentence of three years imprisonment.

"Given that, in committing this offence, Alicia used a knife to stab Stephan not once but numerous times, I find that a sentence at the low end of the scale is not appropriate in this case," said Justice Bonnie Tulloch, who meted out punishment on Jan. 7

The judge also took into consideration that Manik immediately pleaded guilty to the killing, she had no previous criminal record, she has expressed remorse and she committed the violent action after Enoogoo punched Alicia in the head and after he attempted to prevent her from leaving the house.

Before announcing the sentence, Tulloch advised Enoogoo's family that "the criminal process is not an instrument of vengeance nor an instrument of appeasement. The length of sentence is not and cannot be an attempt to place a value on Stephan’s life."

The judge noted that Manik was released on bail three times from the Nunavut Women's Correctional Centre and she was sent back because she admittedly could not abide by curfew and the prohibition against consuming alcohol.

"The inability to follow important conditions in the past speaks to her ability to do so in the future. More importantly, it speaks to the need for professional help... she has proven that she cannot beat her addictions on her own." Tulloch stated, but noted that Manik worked with a clinician on a "relapse prevention system" that will be applicable for her resumption of her life after jail.

Tulloch told Manik, "You now are the one that must work hard to make sure you deal with those unresolved issues that have played a part in bringing you to court. It is you that must address your substance abuse problem. You have several skills that will assist you in your journey but drinking alcohol and smoking weed are not two of them. You can never make up for what happened to Stephan at your hand, but you can keep his memory alive to act as a very strong incentive to change. It will not be easy but if you work hard, anything is possible."