Tara Kearsey
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 08/02) - An 18-year-old male didn't get any breaks from Judge Michel Bourassa after police nabbed him for drinking and driving twice within five weeks.

Tyler Janz was arrested by the RCMP on July 27 and Sept. 1 driving a grey Mazda pick-up truck while intoxicated.

Bourassa suspended his licence for two-and-a-half years, fined him $800 and sentenced him to eight days in jail to be served in full after he pleaded guilty to operating a vehicle with more than 80 mg. of alcohol in 100 ml. of blood.

The first arrest occurred after police noticed Janz showing signs of intoxication at a check stop on Con Road. After providing two breath samples, his alcohol level twice registered at 200 mg. of alcohol in his blood.

In the Sept. 1 incident Janz was pulled over by police after they received a complaint that individuals in a grey Mazda pick-up were driving to Reid Lake to steal firewood.

Janz was again found to be showing signs of intoxication and two breath samples determined his blood alcohol level was 210 mg. and 220 mg. There were several passengers in the vehicle with him.

Bourassa said the aggravating factors of the offences are "extraordinary." He scolded Janz for not learning from the first arrest by drinking and driving twice within five weeks and putting his passengers in danger. He said the youth's drinking habits resemble those of "chronic drinkers."

"(The first arrest) didn't stop him at all. A month later he was out plastered again," said the Judge.

Bourassa said he would have liked to sentence the 18-year-old to a few days in the RCMP drunk tank to show him the detrimental effects of alcoholism.

"There's always something in the way and that's the bottle, and the bottle usually wins," he said.