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Bacon and bears were weaponized on a Fort Simpson campground over the summer.

The offender appeared in a Yellowknife courtroom Wednesday for sentencing on charges of assault and uttering threats. 

A husband and his wife were camping at Fort Simpson Territorial Park on Aug. 23 when the husband approached a man at a neighbouring campsite around 9 p.m. to ask him to turn down his loud music. 

Crown prosecutor Jeffrey Major-Hansford told the court that the man became 鈥渋rate鈥� at the suggestion.

Major-Hansford told the court that the offender begun swearing and yelling that he would get the complainant kicked out of the campground. He then threatened to put bacon on his neighbour鈥檚 tent to attract bears that he said would 鈥渕aul鈥� the camper and his family. 

The offender pushed the neighbour, who responded by giving him the finger and walking back to his own campsite. 

At about 6 a.m. the next morning, the offender followed through with his threats and threw bacon towards his neighbour鈥檚 tent. He yelled at the man to 鈥渃ome and fight (him).鈥�

He threatened to beat the man while his wife watched and said he鈥檇 break the man鈥檚 glasses and nose and 鈥渟end (him) to Yellowknife in a medevac.鈥� 

The husband and wife submitted a victim impact statement to the court. While the document was not read aloud, Major-Hansford noted the incident 鈥渙bviously had a significant impact on the victims,鈥� and 鈥渃reated a real sense of fear.鈥�

Territorial court judge Donovan Molloy accepted the Crown and defence lawyers鈥� joint recommendation to release the man on probation without jail, though Molloy said it was with 鈥渧ery significant reservations.鈥�

鈥淵ou lost your mind and threatened those people in a way that is vulgar and reprehensible,鈥� Molloy said to the offender. "They were simply asking you to be quiet and considerate.鈥�

Molloy called the sentence 鈥渧ery lenient鈥� and said if not for the joint submission he 鈥渨ouldn鈥檛 hesitate鈥� to sentence the man to up to 30 days in jail. 

The court heard that the man is actively involved in his community, but has historically had issues with alcohol.

Defence lawyer Paul Falvo advised that the man has been in counselling for two weeks and is scheduled to start a 42-day program at Poundmaker鈥檚 Lodge in Edmonton. 

鈥淭he event forced him to have a reckoning with himself,鈥� Falvo said.

Molloy sentenced him to 12 months of probation where he will take counselling as directed by a probation officer 鈥� that includes programming for substance abuse and anger management, Molloy added.

The offender was directed to abstain from alcohol while on probation and complete 120 hours of community service at a rate of 10 hours a month.

鈥淵ou had better treat this as a wake up call,鈥� Molloy warned. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no excuse for acting in that kind of way. If someone can鈥檛 go camping in the Northwest Territories and have a weekend of peace and enjoyment, it鈥檚 not a jurisdiction I want to live in.鈥�

The offender told the court that he鈥檚 鈥渁shamed鈥� and 鈥渆mbarrassed about the whole thing.鈥�

He prepared a written letter of apology to the victims to express 鈥渉ow bad he feels.鈥�

Molloy said he would allow the letter to be sent through a probation officer in spite of the no-contact order he directed between the offender and the victims. 

The victims 鈥渁re still, understandably, quite shaken by what happened,鈥� Molloy said. 鈥淚f you can鈥檛 stop drinking then you need to stay away from people entirely.鈥� 

鈥淚t is only by the grace of god that you鈥檙e going through that door, (pointing to the courtroom door for public use) rather than that door (pointing towards the door for those held in custody).鈥�