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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A Yellowknife man serving time in jail for robbing a cab driver has opted to serve 68 days additional jail time instead of paying more than $5,000 in fines for Motor Vehicle Act offences.

Brent Michael appeared in territorial court via video from the North Slave Correctional Centre on Nov. 27 to deal with seven outstanding fines. The 21-year-old is now set to serve 68 days in jail in default of the $5,175 in fines.

The offences span from Feb. 12, 2011 to April 3, 2011 when Michael was stopped by RCMP on multiple occasions while driving a green Ford Taurus around Yellowknife without registration, a driver's licence or driving without insurance, which resulted in the largest fines.

On Feb. 12, 2011, at about 9:49 p.m., Michael was charged with operating a vehicle without a driver's licence, which carries a fine of $345. In court last week, Judge Christine Gagnon gave Michael a default sentence of four days in jail.

On March 6, 2011, about 10:30 p.m., Michael was charged with operating a vehicle without registration, without a driver's licence and without insurance. Operating a vehicle without a licence is a $345 fine and equates to four days in custody, while operating a vehicle without registration is a $115 fine or one day in jail. Operating a vehicle without insurance carries a fine of $1,955. Michael opted to serve 27 days in custody instead of paying the fine.

On April 3, 2011 at about 2 p.m., Michael was again charged with operating a vehicle without insurance, without a driver's licence and without registration.

In total, Michael will stay in custody for an additional 68 days in default of paying $5,175.

Michael is serving an unrelated sentence of 30 months and one week for a conviction related to robbing a cab driver in December 2011.

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