A 58-year-old Ndilo woman caught with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of cocaine and other drugs during a 2016 traffic stop was sentenced to three years behind bars Thursday.
Mary Anne Lafferty stared at the ceiling of a Yellowknife courtroom as Justice Shannon Smallwood read the decision, sentencing her for four convictions of possessing drugs for the purpose of trafficking.
SA国际影视传媒淚 made a mistake and ISA国际影视传媒檓 sorry,SA国际影视传媒� a sniffling and teary-eyed Lafferty said, standing to address the court before being sentenced.
Mary Anne and her 79-year-old mother, Vitaline Lafferty, were stopped by near Fort Providence on March 18, 2016 as part of a high-level drug trafficking investigation dubbed Project Green Manalishi. By monitoring the communications of a suspected drug network, Mounties learned a currier would be delivering Yellowknife-destined drugs to a blue SUV near the NWT/Alberta border.
A police search of Vitaline LaffertySA国际影视传媒檚 blue SUV yielded 1.7 kilograms of cocaine, 85 grams of MDMA, 5.8 kilograms of marijuana and 11 bottles of liquid codeine.
A Yellowknife jury convicted Mary Anne Lafferty of eight counts of drug trafficking and possession charges in September.
Vitaline, who was driving when the pair were stopped, faced the same charges as her daughter, but she was acquitted on all counts by the jury.
SA国际影视传媒淚 made a mistake by not standing up for myself,SA国际影视传媒� continued Lafferty, reading from pages of prepared notes.
At trial, Mary Anne rejected the CrownSA国际影视传媒檚 position that she knew full-well she was on her way to pick up drugs when she left Ndilo, testifying she thought she was partaking in a legitimate pickup for her daughterSA国际影视传媒檚 employer, JerrieSA国际影视传媒檚 Delivery Service.
At the last minute, Lafferty testified, her daughter, Katrina Stiopu, asked her make the trip on her behalf.
Stiopu is currently serving a four-and-a-half-year sentence after being convicted of stashing drugs for network-leader Tobb Dube. Dube, who used JerrieSA国际影视传媒檚 Delivery service to move drugs in Yellowknife, received a nine-year prison sentence last year.
SA国际影视传媒淚 didnSA国际影视传媒檛 understand that when I said SA国际影视传媒測esSA国际影视传媒� to my daughter SA国际影视传媒� what that SA国际影视传媒測es,SA国际影视传媒� would result in,SA国际影视传媒漵aid Lafferty, holding back tears.
In an emotional plea, Lafferty implored Smallwood to grant her house arrest instead of custody, so that she could continue to take care of her grandchildren, who she called, SA国际影视传媒渕y heart, my life, my whole being.SA国际影视传媒� Faced with incarceration, she said she wonSA国际影视传媒檛 be able to wake up and hear SA国际影视传媒済randma.SA国际影视传媒�
Lafferty recounted a traumatic five-year experience at a residential school - beginning at the age of seven - and detailed decades of domestic abuse against herself and her children at the hands of multiple partners. Fighting back tears, Lafferty revisited memories that still haunt her: being beaten SA国际影视传媒渂lack and blue,SA国际影视传媒� and hiding from violence for fear of her life.
SA国际影视传媒淎ll my life ISA国际影视传媒檝e let people abuse me,SA国际影视传媒� Lafferty said, adding she thought it SA国际影视传媒減art of life.SA国际影视传媒�
SA国际影视传媒淚 know it is not now,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
Lafferty told the court she ran away at the age of 15, and has struggled with mental health and addictions issues for years.
Returning to her time in the residential school system, Lafferty remembered being hit by a nun after asking for help.
SA国际影视传媒淚 learned to be quiet,SA国际影视传媒� said Lafferty. SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檓 one of the lucky ones - ISA国际影视传媒檓 still alive. ISA国际影视传媒檓 a survivor,SA国际影视传媒� she added, alluding to the residential school systemSA国际影视传媒檚 long lasting negative impact on the lives of many.
The court also heard about LaffertySA国际影视传媒檚 active involvement the communities of Ndilo and Dettah. Lafferty told the court she was employed by the GNWT in the 1990s, and has assumed roles within the Yellowknives Dene First Nation.
Handing down her decision Thursday, Smallwood said she was satisfied Lafferty knew she was being sent from Ndilo to pick up drugs, although she may not have known the exact quantity or kind of drugs.
With several wiretapped phone calls featuring Lafferty and Dube being presented to the court, Smallwood said Lafferty was in a position to ask more questions if she wanted to know the answers.
Smallwood considered LaffertySA国际影视传媒檚 Gladue factors - an Indigenous offenders upbringing and circumstances in coming to her decision, including the SA国际影视传媒渃ycle of abuseSA国际影视传媒� she endured from as a child into adulthood. Smallwood cited mistreatment from nuns, which when reported, only made LaffertySA国际影视传媒檚 situation worse.
Unfortunately, Smallwood said, SA国际影视传媒渟he learned to deal with abuse and not seek assistance."
Despite these considerations, Smallwood stressed the harm the SA国际影视传媒渟ignificantSA国际影视传媒� amount of drugs destined to Yellowknife and the territory could have caused had they had made their way to the streets of Yellowknife or communities throughout NWT.
The fact Mary AnneSA国际影视传媒檚 daughter exposed her to the drug trade is SA国际影视传媒渞eprehensible,SA国际影视传媒� Smallwood said.
SA国际影视传媒�ItSA国际影视传媒檚 a high price sheSA国际影视传媒檒l have to pay for doing anyone a favour, particularly her daughter,SA国际影视传媒� she added.
Lafferty shared long embraces with half a dozen family members and supporters in court as an officer waiting to take her into custody.
At one point, Lafferty broke down, pointing at a male family member.
SA国际影视传媒淵ou set me up you f---king bastard,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
SA国际影视传媒淚 had nothing do with it,SA国际影视传媒� replied the man. SA国际影视传媒淒onSA国际影视传媒檛 sell dope then,SA国际影视传媒� he added before leaving NWT Supreme Court.
Lafferty must submit a sample of her DNA and is barred from possessing firearms for 10 years after her release.
Outside of the Yellowknife courthouse, Crown attorney Duane Praught SA国际影视传媒� the lead prosecutor for Project Green Manalishi files, told reporters Lafferty's sentencing is the latest in a line of SA国际影视传媒渉ighly successfulSA国际影视传媒� prosecutions.
SA国际影视传媒�It's a reflection of the quality of work of the , and the quality of work of our office as well,SA国际影视传媒� said Praught.
Praught said there are still two offenders charged following Project Green Manalishi waiting to be sentenced. There is an arrest warrant out for a third individual yet to be sentenced.
Nearly 30 suspects were arrested in the sweeping Federal Investigations Unit-led probe.
Praught expects the remaining offenders will be sentenced fore the holidays.
