Iqaluit woman gets 45 days in jail for stealing carvings from late-businessman's home

A woman fromIqaluitwas sentenced to 45 days in jail on Friday for stealing beer and thousands of dollars worth of carvingsin a break and enter last year.

Christine Ammaq broke into the home of prominent businessman John Manning in July 2017. Manning was the owner of KCM Maintenance and Construction.

On July 6, Manning was badly injured in a boat explosion outside his home and was medevaced to Ottawa for treatment.

Manning's wife Geneva Chislett and their daughter travelled with him. Hours after the family left Iqaluit, Ammaq broke into their home.

Manning died on July 9.

When Chislett returned home, she said she found the tusk of a large walrus carving on the floor, but couldn't locate the carving. She estimated that carving cost several thousand dollars.

In total, about 25 carvings were stolen.

Security footage shows Ammaqlugging bags

The residence had four security cameras installed, so Chislett reviewed the footage and recognizedAmmaq lugging three bags across her deck.

Ammaq stopped to rearrange the contents of the bags, and Chislett testified in court that she recognized the fins of the walrus carving.

Ammaq lived across the street from the family in the early 2000s and Chislett testified she saw her almost daily.

In 2002, Ammaq was convicted of breaking into Chislett's house to steal carvings and other items.

At that time, she was sentenced to a three-month conditional sentence, which means she served no jail time.

In his decision, Justice Gregory Mulligan concluded that the only thing Ammaq had learned from that incident was that the home contained carvings.

30 hours of community service, 43 days of jail

John Manning was an avid collector of carvings during his decades in Iqaluit, Chislett testified.

Mulligan sentenced Ammaq to 45 days jail time. She spent a night in jail after her arrest last summer, so she has 43 days remaining in her sentence.

He also ordered she complete 30 hours of community service upon her release and follow probation conditions for one year.

She is not to have contact with the family or be within 100 metres of Chislett's house.

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