In February 2014, an unattended stove top brought Yellowknife firefighters to a downtown apartment unit. When they arrived, no one was inside. But thousands of dollars worth of cocaine and marijuana were.

On Monday, four years and one mistrial later, a city man who pleaded guilty to possessing the drugs for the purpose of trafficking was sentenced in NWT Supreme Court.

William Simpson,56, was handed a three-year prison sentence by Justice Louise Charbonneau, who accepted a joint recommendation of two and a half to three years from both the Crown and SimpsonSA国际影视传媒檚 defence.

It brought an end to what Charbonneau called a SA国际影视传媒渧ery longSA国际影视传媒� and SA国际影视传媒渦nusual,SA国际影视传媒� case.

From May 2013 to March 2014, the court heard, a man named Richard Shushack was the leaseholder of a two bedroom apartment located on 48 Street in downtown Yellowknife. ShushackSA国际影视传媒檚 job required him to leave his residence for several days at a time, and between Feb. 18 and Feb. 25, 2014, he was not at home.

Shushack agreed to rent the second room in his apartment before he departed. The renter, who was not named in court or in court files, used the room to stash and package large quantities of drugs, according to an agreed statement of facts read Monday.

Simpson was an acquaintance of both Shushack and the renter. The defendant knew the unnamed man was using the apartment space to store drugs and that he did so for the purpose of trafficking, but he didnSA国际影视传媒檛 know the SA国际影视传媒渆xtent of the operation.SA国际影视传媒�

On Feb. 25, Yellowknife Fire Division responded to a smoke alarm at ShushackSA国际影视传媒檚 apartment. Personnel quickly quelled a smoldering pot left on a hot stove before searching the apartment for residents that could still be inside. One bedroom was locked. The buildingSA国际影视传媒檚 owner arrived and tried to open it with a master key, but the lock had been changed.

The door was forced open. YKFD personnel immediately smelled an odour of marijuana, and saw drug paraphernalia in the room. Members opened a closet, finding more paraphernalia and several large bags.

were called and a search warrant was executed. Police seized 25, 321.8 grams of marijuana and 1,110.2 grams of cocaine from the locked bedroom.

The resale value of the seized marijuana, Crown prosecutor Annie Piche said, was over $506,000, while the cocaine, at a resale value, was worth just under $200,000.

SA国际影视传媒淰ery large quantities of drugs.ThereSA国际影视传媒檚 no doubt about that.SA国际影视传媒� said Piche.

Just hours before the huge haul of drugs was discovered, Northland Utilities had cut power to ShushackSA国际影视传媒檚 apartment due to unpaid bills. Not long after the power was disconnected, Simpson showed up at Northland Utilities on Range Lake Road. He mentioned he was house sitting for his SA国际影视传媒渂uddy,SA国际影视传媒� and paid $800 in cash to have the power restored.
By 1 p.m., the power had been reconnected. An hour later, YKFD personnel were calling from inside ShushackSA国际影视传媒檚 apartment.

In March 2014, Shushack was arrested for possessing marijuana and cocaine for the purpose trafficking. Extracted data from ShushackSA国际影视传媒檚 cell phone and laptop revealed communications between him and Simpson. They suggested Simpson gave money to Shushack for his rent, and that Simpson had access to his apartment.

Simpson wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 charged until January 2015, nearly a year after the drug bust, when police identified his fingerprints on a bag containing 632 grams of cocaine kept in the closet of the locked bedroom.

In November 2017, Simpson and co-accused Shushack both headed to trial. But after seven days, a mistrial was declared due to issues with late disclosure.

A second trial was then set for the pair of accused, but Simpson changed his plea to guilty. As a result, charges against Shushack were stayed by the Crown.

Despite having five drug trafficking convictions - the fifth being entered 20 years ago - in what Piche called a SA国际影视传媒渟ignificantSA国际影视传媒� but dated criminal record, the prosecutor said SimpsonSA国际影视传媒檚 guilty plea was should be taken into account.
A 2016 Supreme Court decision on R. vs. Jordan led to new guidelines for what constitutes a SA国际影视传媒渞easonableSA国际影视传媒� time for an accused to be tried after being charged.

Due to the delay, Simpson had the opportunity to assert his charter rights under SA国际影视传媒淛ordanSA国际影视传媒�, but opted to forgo that route. Piche called the decision SA国际影视传媒渟ignificantly mitigating.SA国际影视传媒�

Charbonneau agreed. And in an effort to finally close the SA国际影视传媒渓ong, convoluted, procedural history,SA国际影视传媒� of the case, she took the unusual step in handing down a sentence immediately after hearing submissions.

Charbonneau said the joint-submission was SA国际影视传媒渄efinitelySA国际影视传媒� on the lenient side given the wholesale amount of drugs seized, but said the recommended sentence wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 unreasonable.

Charbonneau took time to lament the ills of drug trafficking Yellowknife and throughout the territory.
She said the effects of drugs SA国际影视传媒渕anifest in different ways.SA国际影视传媒� The courts often hear, Charbonneau said, of reputable community members getting caught up in the world of drugs.

Speaking to Simpson, Charbonneau said she wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 sure how he got himself into this after going for so long living crime free.

SA国际影视传媒淒rug trafficking causes a lot of harm and that canSA国际影视传媒檛 ever be forgotten,SA国际影视传媒� she said.

Standing to address Charbonneau, Simpson apologized, but also appeared to worry about SA国际影视传媒渇ood being taken off the table,SA国际影视传媒� if he couldnSA国际影视传媒檛 hunt as a result of his sentence. The Crown sought a firearms prohibition.

SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檓 not a violent person - never have been,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

But Simpson, nonetheless, received a 10-year firearms ban, and must submit a DNA order.
Simpson shook the hands of two supporters before being taken into custody.