Fort Good Hope N.W.T man sentenced to 7 years in prison for manslaughter

An N.W.T judge has sentenced a man from Fort Good Hope to seven years in prison for killing another man from the community last year.

54-year-old Floyd Kakfwi was charged with second-degree murder for stabbing Harley Pierrot on June 15, 2024, the same day a nearby wildfire prompted the community's evacuation. 

In November 2024, Kakfwi pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

Territorial court Judge Stephanie Whitecloud-Brass handed down Kakfwi's sentence Thursday in  Fort Good Hope.

According to an agreed statement of facts, Kakfwi and Pierrot were drinking at Kakfwi's house in Fort Good Hope, in June 2024. They got into an argument, which led to an altercation when Pierrot refused to leave. Kakfwi then stabbed Pierrot with a kitchen knife.

Pierrot died from his injuries two weeks later in the hospital. 

At the time of the stabbing, RCMP charged Kakfwi with aggravated assault but released him from custody once the community issued an evacuation order.

A month later, in July, Kakfwi was charged with second-degree murder.

During the pre-sentencing hearing, the defence suggested five years in custody, while the crown argued for a 9 year sentence.

In her decision, the judge said this offence fell on the more "serious" side of manslaughter.

The judge said she took into account some aggravating factors like Kakfwi's prior criminal convictions, the nature of the offence, as Kakfwi used a knife against an unarmed person.

She said she also considered Kakfwi's guilty plea of manslaughter and his difficult childhood background.

With the time already served, Kakfwi will remain in prison for another five-and-a-half years.