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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - A man who tried to steal clam chowder, stuffed strawberries and teriyaki jerky from the downtown Extra Foods grocery store was fined $500 in territorial court on Tuesday.

Steven Anaktak, 42, pleaded guilty to the offence, which took place on Nov. 24, 2008. Employees of the store caught the man in the act and they called the RCMP, said Crown prosecutor John McFarlane. The man was subsequently arrested.

"Did he have something to drink with that meal?" asked Chief Judge Brian Bruser. "Dessert?"

McFarlane said Anaktak did not.

"He may have been stealing these items for re-sale or to feed himself, given his problems with alcohol," said McFarlane, adding the items the man attempted to steal were recovered.

"Nothing seems to be deterring him," said McFarlane.

Anaktak has at least eight previous convictions for theft under $5,000, he said.

Bruser said he didn't want to ban the man from the store because "a number of years ago I prohibited a shoplifter to go to a store ... the store wrote a letter - a rather irate one." He said store employees were upset they lost a customer who usually did not steal from them.

Anaktak was fined $500 for the theft and was given 30 days in jail for failing to appear in court on March 3, 2009.

"Think twice about stealing from other people, because it's going to cost you a lot of money when you come to court," said Bruser.

Anaktak's case was scheduled to go ahead on another date but could not because he showed up to court intoxicated.

"Because he chose to drink, the matter couldn't go ahead," said Bruser.

"If you have to come to court for any purpose, come sober," he told Anaktak.