(CBC News) – Jurors in the murder trial of Pingoatuk Kolola, the man accused of killing an RCMP officer in a remote Nunavut community, have heard testimony from family members who recalled Kolola’s actions on the night the Mountie was slain.
Kolola, 39, is on trial for first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of Const. Douglas Scott on Nov. 5, 2007, in the Baffin Island hamlet of Kimmirut.
Scott, 20, was investigating a complaint regarding an impaired driver in the community of 400 when he was shot while inside his parked police truck.
As Kolola’s trial began this week in Iqaluit, the 12-person jury heard testimony from Crown witnesses, including Kolola’s common-law wife and niece.
Alcohol-fuelled rage
The niece, Rosemary Kolola, testified Tuesday that on the night of Nov. 5 she received a call for help from Kolola’s common-law wife, Olleetua Judea, who had been in a fight with her husband.
Rosemary Kolola said she left her home to try to get Kolola and Judea’s eight-month-old son away from their house, where the fight began.
In her own testimony, Judea told the court late Monday that she and Kolola had started arguing over his alleged relations with his ex-wife.
Judea said she contacted local housing authority officials to try to have Kolola removed from the home. After she told Kolola of what she had done, he drank some vodka and went into a rage, she said.
After Judea left the home, she said Kolola took the eight-month-old boy and started driving recklessly around the hamlet.
Chased around community
Once Rosemary Kolola arrived at the couple’s home, she said she was promptly told to leave, and did because she was scared.
Shortly afterwards, Kolola said her uncle started to chase her in his truck and on foot throughout Kimmirut, ending up near the local arena.
Rosemary Kolola told the court that she eventually sought safety at a friend’s house nearby.
Court was told that the niece and her friend stood on the porch, looking out the window, when they saw an RCMP truck approach Kolola’s half-ton truck.
The niece said she then heard a loud bang that sounded like a gunshot, followed a moment later by Kolola walking away from the RCMP vehicle.
Taped dispatch conversation
Earlier on Monday, prosecutor Susanne Boucher played a series of taped telephone conversations between RCMP and Kimmirut residents who reported a drunk driver around 10:51 p.m. ET on Nov. 5.
The court then heard a taped conversation between the RCMP dispatcher in Iqaluit and Scott, who was told to look for Kolola.
In the audio tape, Scott was heard saying, “I’ll see if I can go round him up.”
Hearing Scott’s response was an emotional moment for his family members, who have travelled to Iqaluit from Ontario to attend the trial.
The next call from the RCMP dispatch to Scott was placed at 11:20 p.m., but he did not answer.
Prosecutors said they plan to call a total of 20 Crown witnesses during the trial, which continues Tuesday and is expected to run two to three weeks.
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