36 months in prison for a young man from Northern Quebec: he beats a woman before letting her die of cold

A young resident of Northern Quebec who violently beat a woman before leaving her to die of cold after a drunken evening got away with 36 months in prison, more than four years after the events.

“It was a gratuitous crime without empathy for the integrity of the victim,” noted Judge Nathalie Samson, adding that the injuries suffered were “serious and show a high degree of violence.”

These are the words with which she recently sentenced Joseph Audlarock. The 23-year-old man admitted to having committed aggravated assault against Mary Fleming.

Audlarock was only 18 years old at the time of the crime, which occurred one evening in November 2019 in Kuujjuarapik, a small community in northern Quebec.

According to the judgment delivered in English by Judge Samson, Joseph Audlarock had just been thrown out by his girlfriend, with whom he had just had a child. She was now with another man.

He had spent the evening with friends at the bar, where he met Mary Fleming, 47.

The accused, then in an advanced state of intoxication, had left the scene with the victim.

Not discarded

On the way back, Mary Fleming is said to have been “mean” to Audlarock’s girlfriend.

He was unable to control his emotions, kicking and punching her in the face.

Tests confirmed that sexual intercourse had also taken place. However, Audlorack maintained that it was consensual and that the victim then asked him to go home alone.

Mary Fleming’s body was cold and bloody when it was found. Her trousers were pulled down, exposing her genitals, the judgment said.

A search warrant at Audlarock’s home later found the victim’s blood on the defendant’s shoes.

According to the autopsy report, “environmental hypothermia of a poisoned woman” was the cause of death.

“It cannot be excluded that the [traumatisme] to the face indirectly contributed to the death, for example, by causing the victim to lose consciousness in a hostile environment (extremely cold temperature),” it is stressed.

He didn’t call for help

A Gladue report, which is used to take into account the Aboriginal status of the accused before the court, was produced in this case.

Audlarock is said to have been exposed to alcoholism and violence at a very young age.

The death of several of his relatives or their sending to foster families would also have had a traumatic effect.

Such elements “contribute to reducing the moral culpability of the accused,” says Judge Samson.

Among the aggravating factors, the magistrate mentioned that Audlarock “did not call for help, left the scene and did not come forward until there was clear evidence against him.”

However, she remembers her involvement in the community since the tragedy, and her young age.