Yellowknife (June 13/03) - An intoxicated man who backed his truck into a taxi outside a liquor store was sentenced to 14 days in jail and given a 18-month driving prohibition in territorial court on Tuesday.

Bryan Reithaug pleaded guilty to operating a vehicle with over 80 milligrams of alcohol in his blood.

The taxi driver suspected the man was intoxicated and called police, who found him sitting in his truck.

A breath test found his blood-alcohol level was three times the legal limit.

The man, a heavy equipment operator, has four past drunk driving convictions, which took place from 1976-1985.

Defence lawyer Peter Fuglsang suggested that Judge Michel Bourassa consider this his first offence because the convictions are dated.

No way, said Bourassa.

"To treat it as a first time offence would be blindness."