Kevin Wilson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Mar 22/02) - A 20-year-old Yellowknife man with "an insatiable appetite for other people's property" narrowly missed a federal penitentiary term Tuesday, courtesy of Judge Michel Bourassa.

Charlie Koe was led from court in handcuffs Tuesday after being sentenced to two years less a day for a string of break enter and thefts dating back to last October. - Kevin Wilson/NNSL photo

Charlie Bell Koe was sentenced to two years less a day for a string of 13 break and enters dating back to last October.

Two years less a day is the maximum sentence that can be imposed for a provincial or territorial correctional facility.

"Federal penitentiary is no fun, Mr. Koe," Bourassa warned after imposing the sentence.

Court heard that by the time Koe's crime spree ended in early January, he had hit a law firm, the Jan Stirling Building, the Metis nation offices, and attempted to break into two safes.

"Thousands of dollars were stolen, thousands in property was destroyed...the litany of damage and theft just entered by the Crown is astounding," Bourassa said.

The judge added that a major aggravating factor was Koe's enlistment of a 12-year-old boy as an accomplice in several of the break-ins.

Defence lawyer Kelly Payne told Bourassa that Koe had only a Grade Five education.

"It would be a shame at this stage in his life to give up on him," said Payne.

Koe leaned back nonchalantly as Bourassa, Payne, and Crown Attorney Loretta Colton went through the sentencing.

Asked if he had anything to say before Bourassa imposed sentence, Koe said he was sorry, and that break-and-enters were, "what I've been taught to do."

"Time to get a new trade," Bourassa replied.