A tense courtroom erupted in shouts and cries of relief Friday as Peter Charlie Tsetta was found guilty of sexually assaulting two women in separate attacks in 2017.

SA国际影视传媒�You (expletive) liar,SA国际影视传媒� yelled the now-convicted 50-year-old Ndilo man, turning to hurl a barrage of insults at his victim -- who sat just a feet away in the courtroom gallery --- following the decision.

Justice Louise Charbonneau found Tsetta guilty of sexually assaulting the woman - who routinely sat in court surrounded by a group of friends and supporters - during a brutal attack at his Ndilo home in June 2017.

The woman, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, testified in late May during TsettaSA国际影视传媒檚 judge-alone trial in NWT Supreme Court.

She said sheSA国际影视传媒檇 been drinking in downtown Yellowknife when Tsetta, sharing his alcohol with her, invited her back to his Ndilo home, telling her SA国际影视传媒渄onSA国际影视传媒檛 worry, youSA国际影视传媒檒l be safe.SA国际影视传媒�

Through tears, the victim told the court she awoke to Tsetta pinning her down and raping her in his bedroom.

TsettaSA国际影视传媒檚 victim reported the sexual assault to the next day. She was taken to hospital.

The woman told the court she SA国际影视传媒渓ived in hate,SA国际影视传媒� following the attack SA国际影视传媒� the only way she knew how to cope with the vicious assault, she said.

Handing down her decision, Charbonneau called the womanSA国际影视传媒檚 testimony SA国际影视传媒渃ompelling.SA国际影视传媒�

Tsetta was also convicted of unlawfully confining her during the June 2017 attack.

Charbonneau found Tsetta guilty of sexually assaulting another female victim SA国际影视传媒� who is now deceased SA国际影视传媒� just one month earlier, in May 2017.

The sexual assaults both occurred while Tsetta was released on bail for another sexual assault charge laid in March 2017 SA国际影视传媒� a charge that has since been stayed by prosecutors.

The late victim gave a statement to police two months after she was raped by Tsetta, recounting a starkly similar attack.

She told police Tsetta invited her back to his house after the two ran into each other downtown. The woman passed out at his house, waking up to him raping her, she told .

Following the victimSA国际影视传媒檚 death, prosecutors relied on the womanSA国际影视传媒檚 statement to police, along with her testimony a preliminary inquiry, during trial.

Despite a challenge from TsettaSA国际影视传媒檚 lawyer, Evan McIntyre, who argued the dead woman's evidence shouldnSA国际影视传媒檛 be presented in court, partly because she couldnSA国际影视传媒檛 be cross-examined, Charbonneau ruled the womanSA国际影视传媒檚 testimony was admissible at trial.

Charbonneau said she completely disagreed with the defenceSA国际影视传媒檚 assertion that the late victimSA国际影视传媒檚 testimony wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 corroborated, pointing to testimony from an employee at the Vital Abel House SA国际影视传媒� where the woman sought refuge after the sexual assault SA国际影视传媒� and the testimony of Tsetta himself.

In June, Tsetta took the stand. He denied ever sexually assaulting her SA国际影视传媒� but his testimony about the night in question SA国际影视传媒� where they met; how they drank together at his home SA国际影视传媒� aligned with the deceased victimSA国际影视传媒檚 recollections, said Charbonneau, who called her statements SA国际影视传媒渞eliable.SA国际影视传媒�

That reliability, she said, wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 diminished by the fact she told police sheSA国际影视传媒檇 been drinking that night. ThereSA国际影视传媒檚 no possibility she mistook being sexually assaulted, just as the June 2017 victim couldnSA国际影视传媒檛 be mistaken about what happened to her SA国际影视传媒� and who did it, said Charbonneau.

Tsetta, who was also charged with unlawfully confining the deceased victim, was found not guilty of the offence by Charbonneau.

Prosecutors argued that when Tsetta covered the victimSA国际影视传媒檚 mouth during the assault to prevent her from screaming when someone knocked at his door -- part of her account of the sexual assault -- that the action constituted unlawful confinement.

In the judgeSA国际影视传媒檚 view, the act SA国际影视传媒� an aggravating feature of the attack itself SA国际影视传媒� was SA国际影视传媒減art and parcel,SA国际影视传媒� with the sexual assault. It wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 clear, she said, that the act constituted a separate offence.

Tsetta will be back in court on Aug. 19, when a date for sentencing will likely be set.