Daniel MacIsaac
Northern News Services

NNSL (Mar 05/99) - A Yellowknife youth who committed a series of break and enters last summer appeared in territorial court for sentencing this week and found support from an unusual corner: one of his victims.

The young man, who was under 19 years of age at the time of the offences, sat silently with head bowed as Crown attorney Mark Scrivens read the facts surrounding the six counts of breaking and entering.

Court learned that, with a series of accomplices, the accused had stolen a total of approximately $8,000 worth of goods -- including video cameras, video game stations, a computer, money, jewellery, liquor and six rifles and shotguns with ammunition -- from neighbours and family friends.

Scrivens described how, after taking the weapons, the accused and another youth fired some of them off in the vicinity of the airport. But he said the weapons have never been recovered. Defence counsel explained that the accused has accompanied RCMP officers to the site but failed to find the guns.

But one family friend, whose house was robbed twice, as was the business he shares with the accused's father, came to the young man's defence Wednesday.

Giving an emotional testimony before court and the accused's family, the businessman likened the accused to a son and said that while he felt betrayed, he did not consider himself a victim. Occasionally pausing to regain his composure, the businessman described the accused as intelligent but impressionable and asked the court for mercy.

"I feel he may get more influence from the dark side of society if he goes to jail," he said.

The businessman also made it clear he was not seeking financial restitution.

Addressing the court, Judge Robert Bourassa said sentencing is never easy, particularly in the case of a first offender. But he pointed to the aggravating circumstances in this case -- that the Frame Lake area has been victim to a high number of break-ins over the years, that people's homes are vulnerable and that the accused exploited his friends and family.

"How can you protect yourself against friends?" the judge asked. "You can't."

The judge called the theft of an irreplaceable engagement ring and wedding ring pathetic.

"These are the kinds of injuries that can't be repaired," he said. "These are the breaches of trust that can't be repaired."

Bourassa also pointed to the accused's pretrial report, in which the accused cited boredom and recreational drug use to explain his actions, though adding that drugs weren't a problem in his life.

"I think this boy needs a cold shower about reality," the judge said.

Standing up and addressing Bourassa before receiving his sentence, the accused appeared shaky but sincere.

"I wrote that drugs aren't a problem in my life," he said, "because since I've seen the problems they've caused in my life, they're no longer a part of it."

Bourassa sentenced the accused to pay $500 in restitution and 12 months imprisonment, but added, "Mind your Ps and Qs and you could be out in as little as two months."