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Killer of Nunavut Mountie loses appeal

Pingoatuk Kolola has lost his appeal of his first-degree murder conviction for killing 20-year-old RCMP Const. Douglas Scott in Kimmirut in 2007.

Pingoatuk Kolola of Kimmirut serving life sentence

A Nunavut man serving a life sentence for killing an RCMP officer has lost his appeal of the verdict.

Pingoatuk Kolola was convicted of first-degree murder for killing 20-year-old RCMP Const. Douglas Scott in Kimmirut in 2007. He is serving a life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years.

A man with a mustache wearing a hooded jacket looking down to try and hide his face
Pingoatuk Kolola has lost his appeal of his first-degree murder conviction for killing 20-year-old RCMP Const. Douglas Scott in Kimmirut in 2007. (CBC)

Following a confrontation with his wife, Kolola was driving drunk around the community with his child in the vehicle when the truck became stuck on a stack of lumber. He got out of the truck, carrying a gun. 

When a police vehicle approached and stopped, Kolola shot at it and Scott was hit in the forehead. He died instantly.

Pingoatuk appealed the verdict, saying the trial judge had erred in three areas in his instructions to the jury.  But in a written decision issued yesterday, the Nunavut Court of Appeal said there is no merit to the grounds of appeal.