by Chris Meyers Almey
Northern News Services

NNSL (Mar 14/97) - A man who police had to pepper spray following a rampage in Rae has been sentenced to a year in jail.

Daniel Drybones, 18, was merely running with the wrong crowd, defence lawyer Noel Sinclair told territorial court Tuesday.

But Judge Michel Bourassa said he doubts Drybones shouldn't accept responsibility for his actions. "Who's leading who here?" he said.

According to Crown attorney Sandra Aitken, Drybones joined a group of youth at a party in an empty Rae home on Jan. 1. Police were trying to sort things out when Drybones fled out a window to the woods, running after someone with whom he was fighting.

It took police 15 minutes to handcuff Drybones and get him in the cruiser and further restrain him with leg irons.

Drybones threatened a constable and his family, spit in the officer's face and hit him on the chin.

Then on Jan. 29 about 1 a.m., a gang ran off with a cash register when the clerk of the Rae store was busy. Only part of the $2,500 register was found, Aitken said. The gang also tried to crack the store's safe.

Then, during the early morning hours of Feb. 11, Drybones broke into the Jeik'o Motel and stole a color TV and damaged laundry machines.

Items were also stolen from the Rae Friendship Centre that night.

Sinclair told the judge that Drybones was passing by the store and he wasn't involved in the attack on the safe. On the assault charge, Sinclair said his client had been shot with pepper spray, and was unable to maintain self-control while being arrested.

Bourassa, however, gave little credence to Drybones' versions of the incidents.

The burglary and safe-cracking attempt is worth a year in jail and the cash register theft another year.

The Friendship Centre break-in earned eight months in jail and the motel job another 10 months.

Because the sentences are to be served concurrently, the total time behind bars amounts to one year.