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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - A Yellowknife man was given 195 days in jail after he was caught breaking into the Down to Earth Gallery on Nov. 17.

Mark Poodlat, 25, pleaded guilty in territorial court on Tuesday to breaking and entering as well as violating his court conditions.

According to Crown prosecutor Shannon Smallwood, Poodlat was on probation when RCMP responded to a call at the Gallery of the Midnight Sun around 10 p.m. The officers did not find anything suspicious at the gallery but did notice movement in the office of the attached Down to Earth Gallery. Police investigated and found Poodlat exiting the back door of the building. The officers attempted to arrest Poodlat, who tried to get back inside the building. The court heard Poodlat was combative during the arrest and subsequently received a head wound which required stitches on both sides of his head.

Smallwood said the gallery owner reported that nothing appeared to have been taken but the office was described as "disrupted."

Defence attorney Tom Boyd said Poodlat has mainly lived in Yellowknife's Salvation Army for the past seven years.

"That's what he regards as his home now," said Boyd.

Poodlat has a criminal record with 29 convictions dating back to 2001. When considering sentencing, Judge Robert Gorin said Poodlat has previously received jail sentences of two years less a day.

"I'd say you've been doing life on the instalment plan for the past seven years or so," said Gorin of the amount of time Poodlat has previously served in jail.

Gorin said he hoped Poodlat would change his criminal behaviour but couldn't "put a great deal of weight" on his chances of rehabilitation.

Poodlat was given 105 days for the breaking and entering conviction and 90 days for breaching his court conditions.

He was also instructed to submit to a DNA order.