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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - A Yellowknife man convicted of grabbing a woman's buttocks as she walked on the McMahon Frame Lake Trail was sentenced to nine months in jail on April 24.

Christopher Vital, 31, had been found guilty of sexual assault by territorial court Judge Brian Bruser for a July 25, 2008 incident when he grabbed a woman by the buttocks as she walked by him. The victim described it as a "full-hand grab."

Bruser ordered Vital to spend nine months in jail, serve one year probation, and said he must submit to a DNA order.

Vital was also sentenced for two additional charges, one for possession of a marijuana cigarette, also from July 25, 2008, and failure to appear in court on June 5, 2008. Vital was given a $100 fine for each offence.

As well, he will serve an additional 15 days in jail for resisting arrest and breaching court conditions after a separate sentencing on Thursday, April 23. Vital was located by RCMP at a bar on Sept. 7, 2008.

According to Crown prosecutor Roger Shepard, at the time Vital was ordered to follow conditions imposed by the courts, which included not consuming alcohol. After an anonymous complaint to police about Vital's presence at a bar, RCMP found him intoxicated.

"While being handcuffed, the accused became combative," said Shepard, adding Vital was "belligerent, cursing and swearing" at officers.

Defence lawyer Tom Boyd said Vital's belt was cut during the incident, but police have denied he ever had a belt and said it was not part of his belongings.

"The police are just doing their job ... you have to realize that and the rest of the community has to realize it is a crime to resist arrest," said Judge Bernadette Schmaltz.