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Teenage drunk driver fined $1,000, one year ban Terrence McEachern Northern News Services Published Friday, September 23, 2011
Both of the young man's parents were in territorial court to hear Judge Brian Bruser sentence their 18-year-old son to the minimum $1,000 fine and one-year driving ban, as well as offer a lecture about the dangers of drinking and driving. "You're going to have to watch what you do when you drink," said Bruser. "If you do this sort of thing again, you may go to jail now that you have a criminal record." On July 17 at 3:50 a.m., the Yellowknife RCMP received a complaint from a female driver that a possible drunk driver in an older model blue pick-up truck was speeding downtown, spun out of control and almost rammed into her car, said Crown prosecutor Jessica Patterson. Shortly after, the RCMP spotted a truck matching the description provided by the complainant parked in the Shell gas station on Range Lake Road. They saw the driver get out of the truck and enter the store. When the officers followed him inside, they found the driver standing at the ATM. He appeared nervous and had glossy eyes, said Patterson. The driver told the police he was at his home earlier in the evening having a few drinks with friends. The RCMP arrested the man and took him to the Yellowknife detachment where he provided two breathalyzer samples - 100 and 90 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 80 milligrams. Given that the man had no previous criminal record, entered an early guilty plea on Sept. 16 and was polite and co-operative with police, Patterson asked Bruser to impose the minimum sentence. Bruser noted that the readings were "just above the line" in terms of breaking the law. Defence lawyer Caroline Wawzonek agreed. She said her client agreed to most of the allegations, except for the part about almost striking another vehicle, which he denied. Wawzonek added that her client has good character and that the incident was unfortunate, given that the conviction would probably cause him to lose his job with a sales company in the city. She agreed with the Crown that the minimum sentence was appropriate. Yellowknifer only names those in positions of public trust on a first drinking and driving conviction.
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