Trial starts Monday for Tuktoyaktuk man accused of kidnapping

The week-long trial of a Tuktoyaktuk man accused of kidnapping begins Monday in Northwest Territories Supreme Court in Yellowknife.

Kelly Ovayuak is facing 10 charges, including kidnapping, aggravated assault, break and enter, failing to stop for police and impaired driving.

The 47-year-old is accused of breaking into a home in Inuvik on April 2, 2022, assaulting a man there, then kidnapping and assaulting a woman.

Police allege they had to use spikes to deflate his tires after he led them on a high-speed chase on the Inuvik-Tuk highway.

Ovayuak chose to be tried by a judge with no jury. Five days of court time have been set aside for the trial.

Some of the witnesses, including ones from Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk, will be testifying via video.

Earlier this month, Ovayuak was sentenced on other charges laid against him while he was in jail awaiting trial.

He was sentenced to 16 months in jail for repeatedly contacting a witness he was ordered to have no contact with.

Ovayuak called the witness from the North Slave Correctional Centre. Inmates are advised when making calls from the jail to anyone but their lawyer, that their calls could be monitored or recorded.

According to court documents, transcripts of those calls are being used as evidence against Ovayuak in the kidnapping trial.