Amanda Vaughan
Northern News Services
Published Friday, November 30, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - A man has been sentenced to an extra five months in jail after breaking into a church while on probation for a previous robbery charge.

Crown counsel Brendan Gaunt told the court during Charlie Koe's sentencing hearing Wednesday that the caretaker of a downtown Yellowknife church came in Oct. 10 at 7 a.m. to start her working day, and found Koe inside.

After the police arrived and searched the building, they discovered a broken window through which Koe had entered the building. In the church's kitchen, Gaunt said the police found a fork on the floor, and a partially eaten package of cookies. Gaunt said Koe was serving a two-year sentence for a 2006 robbery up until August when he was released early. He said Koe breached his release conditions in September, and there was a warrant for his arrest at the time of the church break-in.

Once back in custody, Koe was forced to serve the duration of the two-year robbery sentence.

Gaunt recommended a five-to-six-month sentence for Koe, to be tacked on to the end of the robbery sentence. He pointed out the man's lengthy record, with 30 previous convictions, 25 of which were property related - 18 specifically for break-and-enters.

Koe's lawyer, Patrice Taylor, who agreed to a five-month sentence, said her client "was drunk at the time, and did not break-in intending to steal anything," although he did take a cookie. She suggested a $488.15 payment for the church's broken window, which Koe could pay off upon his release.

Before handing down his sentence, Judge Robert Gorin said Koe's case did not have many mitigating factors.