NNSL (Jan 10/97) - Crown lawyer Scott Cooper wanted him jailed for nine months.

Defence lawyer Brent Clute asked for somewhere in the six-month range.

But territorial court Judge Michel Bourassa said Tuesday that nothing less than a year in jail would satisfy the scales of justice in the case of five-time drunk driver Curtis Edward Olsen.

"He was drunker than a lord, racing around the ice on a Sunday afternoon, zipping through Dettah," said Bourassa. "My obligation is to do something about this before he comes back to court with blood on his hands."

Clute told court that the 25-year-old Olsen moved to Yellowknife last spring to work in the fishing and mining industries.

Shortly after arriving he moved in with a Dettah woman and her two children and they are now living in a "marriage-like" relationship, said Clute.

"He is now in a relationship where he's got some responsibilities as an adult."

Cooper told court that police arrested Olsen in Dettah Dec. 15 after observing him speeding both off and on the Dettah ice road.

Olsen was operating the vehicle while his drivers licence was suspended. He was also awaiting further court appearances on a Sept. 12 assault that occurred at Yellowknife drinking party.

Cooper told court that Olsen's criminal record includes four previous drunk-driving convictions dating back to 1991.

Olsen's last conviction, in Peace River, Alta., in October 1995, netted him three months in jail and a three-year driving prohibition.

Bourassa said his first consideration, before listening to sentencing submissions from both lawyers, was to send the man to jail for two years.

"But I have to, to some degree, take into consideration the Crown's position," said Bourassa.

He sentenced Olsen to one year in jail for drunk driving, an additional three months in jail for driving while disqualified, and one month in jail -- to be served consecutively -- for the assault.

Bourassa also ordered him prohibited from driving for a further three years.

"It's a big responsibility, sitting behind the wheel of 2,000 pounds of steel and plastic, especially when you consider (what happens to) 150 pounds of flesh when it comes into contact with it," said Bourassa.