Yellowknife (Mar 10/03) - Judge Michel Bourassa sentenced a Lutsel K'e man to six months in jail for assaulting a woman who had a broken arm and repeatedly breaching a court order not to drink.

He came home drunk on Feb. 2, woke up his wife, grabbed her and ripped her shirt. He threw her on the bed and shut the door but she managed to escape.

Police found him at another house hiding under a blanket.

Crown lawyer Sadie Bond asked for a five- to six month sentence and noted his previous assault convictions.

Defence lawyer Kelly Payne said the man is a loving partner when sober.

"This has been a wake-up call for him," she said.

Payne said he wasn't responsible for his wife's broken arm. Bourassa said this particular assault falls on the "low end of the scale" but his criminal record is extensive.

His record includes convictions for assault, indecent assault, assault causing bodily harm and robbery. "Between '95 and '98, there were non-stop convictions for spousal assault on two different women."

The man's professed love for his spouse isn't consistent with his actions, said Bourassa. Even an 18-month sentence in the past wasn't a wake-up call, he said, so he doubted the court could change him.