Iqaluit man gets 60 days for assault, threats while in custody

An Iqaluit man has been sentenced to 60 days in jail for assault and uttering threats to RCMP and hospital staff.

Willie Ishulutak, 33, appearedin the Nunavut Court of Justice this morning.

The court heard that in February, Ishulutak was in solitary confinement at Baffin Correctional Centre. He was spending 23 hours a day in his cell, and was allowed to be on the phone for 15 minutes per day.

On the day in question, he was denied his phone call. That prompted him to cut himself on his forearms and neck with razor blades, before swallowing the blades.

Ishulutak was taken to the Qikiqtani General Hospital and restrained.

He said he was going to kill hospital staff, threatened to spit on them and infect them with hepatitis C.

Ishulutak was medicated.

He woke up later in the day and was still combative.

When police arrived, Ishulutak threatened them with broken glass and he damaged medical equipment.

Justice Robert Kilpatrick told Ishulutak he is his own worst enemy and that he needs to learn how to control his anger.

Ishulutak will remain in custody for other matters including an upcoming preliminary inquiry in May.

He is one of two men charged in connection to a fire at Baffin Correctional Centre last November.