Daughter convicted, mother acquitted in drug trafficking trial

One woman has been convicted and another acquitted in a drug trafficking trial that began in N.W.T. Supreme Court last week.

Friday afternoon, a 12-person jury handed down the verdict in the case against Mary Anne Lafferty, 58, and her mother, Vitaline Lafferty, 79, both from Ndilo, N.W.T.

Mary Anne was found guilty of eight counts of possessing marijuana, cocaine, MDMA and codeine for the purpose of trafficking. Vitaline was found not guilty of the same counts.

The women were charged after they were pulled over at an RCMP checkstop near Fort Providence, N.W.T., in 2016.

RCMP confiscated 5.4 kilograms of marijuana, 1.7 kilograms of cocaine, roughly three ounces of MDMA and five litres of cough syrup from a car the women had been driving. 

The jury deliberated for two hours on Friday before reaching a verdict. In her instructions to the jury, Justice Shannon Smallwood told them to consider all the evidence presented during the trial.

There were 15 exhibits presented during trial, along with testimony from both Vitaline, Mary Anne and the RCMP officers who were involved in their arrest.

Smallwood had also told the jury to consider the credibility of witnesses, if they were honest, had a good memory or changed their testimony.

Mary Anne testified that she agreed to drive to Indian Cabins in northern Alberta to pick up a delivery for Jerrie's Delivery, the company that employed Katrina Stiopu, Mary Anne's daughter.

Mary Anne claimed she did not know that drugs would be involved and denied being paid for the trip. 

Stiopu was sentenced to four and a half years in custody in January for her role in a major criminal organization that sold drugs in Yellowknife. 

Vitaline, who also made the trip to northern Alberta, testified that Mary Anne had told her they would be heading to a funeral in Fort Resolution, N.W.T. 

Mary Anne Lafferty will be back in court for sentencing on Nov. 9. 

With files from Michael Hugall