SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - A man with a lengthy criminal record has been sentenced to one month in jail for causing a disturbance and three counts of breaking court conditions after he drunkenly panhandled at the downtown Extra Foods.

On Jan. 28, Judge Bernadette Schmaltz said Joseph Poodlat, 58, was charged for being intoxicated and causing a disturbance at Extra Foods. He was under court orders, imposed from previous convictions, requiring him to stay away from the grocery store.

"People shouldn't have to explain to their children why that man is sleeping in the grocery store," Schmaltz said.

Poodlat has 21 instances of violating court conditions on his record. He's been arrested previously at Extra Foods for incidents, including exposing himself in public and attempting to urinate on the building, and for being passed out on the premises while under a court condition to stay away.

On Jan. 20, the day of his most recent arrest, Poodlat was panhandling in the parking lot.

His defence lawyer, Jay Bran, said the downtown Extra Foods is the only place Poodlat can go with a high enough traffic for him to collect money. Poodlat was sleeping at the Salvation Army, Bran said, and could not make the trek to Wal-Mart and other large stores uptown in the cold weather.

Bran said court conditions that would bar Poodlat from Extra Foods would be "setting him up" for another charge of breaking court conditions.

Bran told the courtroom Poodlat has an alcohol addiction and uses the money he collects panhandling to fund his habit. Poodlat admitted his addiction to the courtroom.

"When I get that alcohol, I feel strong. I'm not scared no more," he said. "I apologize to everyone. I'm not using my brain."

On top of the jail time, Schmaltz sentenced Poodlat to eight months of probation with conditions that he take any addiction treatment or counselling recommended by his probation officer, and that he go to the Tree of Peace once a day from Monday to Friday - preferably to take advantage of that organization's addictions programs, but at the very least to show up there. Poodlat is also to fulfil 50 hours of community service.

"I'm not making a condition that you not attend Extra Foods, but you know what happens when you go there intoxicated," said Schmaltz.