Yellowknife (Oct 20/06) - A one-armed Yellowknife man was sentenced Oct. 10 to almost three months in jail for a rash of break and enters and theft committed back in July.

Territorial court judge Brian Bruser sentenced Bobby Kaotalok, 21, to one month in jail for each of six break and enters into Yellowknife businesses.

Kaotalok, who lost his left arm in an earlier motor vehicle accident, was, however, given 164 days credit for the 82 days he spent in custody before his sentencing.

Kaotalok confessed to police that he, along with some friends, broke into PCL Construction twice, Autotech, Igloo Building Supplies, Kavanaugh Bros., and NAPA Auto Parts over two-and-a-half weeks in July.

The suspects smashed windows to gain entry and stole digital cameras, liquor, cash, bug spray, and an alarm clock in the shape of a tire.

"The people who operate these businesses went to a lot of work to develop them," said Bruser during sentencing. "Those people and their employees don't need to come to work to find someone has helped themselves in the night."

Bruser also sentenced Kaotalok to two additional months, one for failing to appear in court and one for stealing $25 worth of gas from the Homesteaders' Gas Bar in Hay River in May 2005.

The theft occurred when Kaotalok attempted to pay for gas he had put in his truck and his debit card was rejected. He told the station's attendant he would go get the money from his uncle, but never returned.