Man sentenced to three years for sexual assault in Yellowknife

A man has been sentenced to three years’ imprisonment nearly six years after a woman reported being sexually assaulted at a hotel in Yellowknife.

In November 2025, a jury convicted Fraser Goulet, 38, of one count of sexually assaulting a woman at the Capital Suites on May 23, 2020. The woman’s identity is protected by a publication ban.

During a sentencing hearing, Crown prosecutor Jean-Benoit Deschamps sought a sentence of three and a half to four years in prison. Defence lawyer Alexander Koustov had argued for a sentence of two and a half years.

In NWT Supreme Court last week, Justice Karin Taylor sentenced Goulet to three years in prison.

Once released, Goulet will be prohibited from possessing firearms for 10 years. He will also be required to register as a sex offender for 20 years.

Court records indicate the Covid-19 pandemic, which resulted in a backlog of cases, delayed the trial.

Goulet also changed lawyers, which contributed to some of the delay. One lawyer asked to be removed from the case in October 2023 after they were unable to get in touch with him.

Goulet had pleaded not guilty ahead of trial and maintained his innocence following his conviction.

He admitted to having sexual contact with the woman in May 2020, but claimed it was consensual. Goulet said when the woman withdrew her consent, he stopped.

The woman, however, testified that she told Goulet to stop and was uncomfortable when he began touching her. She said she never consented to sexual activity, Goulet forced himself on her, and he was bigger and stronger so she could not stop him.

After the assault, the woman locked herself in the bathroom of the hotel room and called RCMP.

Assault caused ‘untold pain and suffering’

In a victim impact statement filed with the court ahead of sentencing, the woman described the sexual assault as a traumatic experience that has “inflicted untold pain and suffering.” She said she struggles with anxiety and depression, has difficulty sleeping, and the assault compromised her sense of safety.

“Til this day I still feel the exact same way I [did when I] came out that hospital. Broken, defeated and most of all traumatized,” she wrote.

The woman asked the court for “swift action” in the case, saying she wanted to reclaim her life.

“I strive for justice – not only for myself but for all women who have faced similar hardships,” she wrote.

The woman’s partner and sister also filed statements with the court, saying they have seen her struggle with stress, fear, anxiety and changes to her confidence.

“Seeing someone you care about go through this kind of pain is extremely difficult and it has changed the atmosphere of our lives,” the woman’s partner wrote.

The sister said the woman had waited five years for justice while carrying “her story in silence.” She said she was proud of her sister’s strength and courage.

“My only hope is that women … can learn from her strength and see that there is hope at the end of a very dark tunnel,” she wrote.

Pattern of binge drinking

According to a pre-sentencing report, Goulet has no prior criminal record.

While awaiting trial, the report states, he completed a substance use treatment program and attended counselling. He said he had been consuming alcohol on the evening of May 23, 2020 and described a pattern of binge drinking in the weeks leading up to the offence.

A support letter written by Goulet’s cousin describes him as “a deeply compassionate, gentle and generous person” with a strong connection to his Indigenous culture and community. The man said he recognized, however, that does not diminish the seriousness of the offence nor the harm caused.

“Fraser is not defined by this single moment. He is a person who has spent much of his life giving to others, building connection and strengthening his community,” the man wrote, adding it was important Goulet remain in the North near supports, culture and community.

“I have full confidence in his ability to continue on a path of growth, accountability and positive contribution.”

The Criminal Code mandates that sentences of two years or more be served in a federal penitentiary. There is no federal prison in the territories.

Rare use of Gladue report

A separate Gladue report was filed in Goulet’s case, a rarity in the NWT. The specialized pre-sentencing reports provide unique background information about Indigenous offenders.

A landmark 1999 Supreme Court of Canada ruling in R v Gladue requires sentencing judges to consider such information with the aim of addressing the over-representation of Indigenous people in prison, and encouraging judges to consider a restorative approach to sentencing.

According to the Gladue report in Goulet’s case, he is a member of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation and has family members who attended residential school.

The victim in the case is also Indigenous.

The NWT government has previously said it is not considering using Gladue reports any time soon.

Some judges have also said pre-sentencing reports in the territory that incorporate “Gladue factors” compare favourably to standalone Gladue reports produced in other jurisdictions.

In a recent sentencing decision in the case of an Indigenous man convicted in a drug trafficking case, for example, Justice Louise Charbonneau praised a pre-sentencing report for being “helpful and thorough.”

“It is not called a ‘Gladue report’ but it includes all the information that is required to assist the court,” she wrote.

“This just goes to show that there is no magic to how a report is named. The important thing is that it contain all the information that the sentencing court needs to carry out its responsibilities.”

During a press conference in September 2025, however, NWT Supreme Court Chief Justice Shannon Smallwood said pre-sentencing reports in the territory “don’t replace” Gladue reports she has seen in other jurisdictions.

Smallwood said she hoped such specialized reports would eventually be introduced in the NWT.