Kimmirut man gets 7 years for shooting at RCMP building

A Kimmirut, Nunavut,man has been sentenced to seven years in a federal penitentiary for shooting at the RCMP building in the communitylast summer.

Joe Utye, 21, pleaded guilty in March to one count of recklessly discharging a firearm. Hissentencing hearingwas held at the Nunavut Court of Justice in Iqaluit last week.

Last July, Utyefired 13 shots at the detachment buildingwhile two officers and a woman were inside.Utye wasdrunkat the time of the shooting.

Local residents managed to tie him up with rope until the RCMP emergency response team arrived a couple of hours later from Iqaluit.No one was injured.

The crown hadasked for a sentence of six to eight years in a federal penitentiary. The defence wanted six years minus credit for time served.

Justice Robert Kilpatrick issued a written decision Tuesday, sentencing Utye to seven years in prison.

Withcredit for pre-trial custody, Utye hasabout another five and a-half years to serve behind bars.