Yellowknife (Apr 08/05) - A cigarette thief who stole of box of cigarettes from a warehouse - in plain view of at least one employee - then bolted down the street has been sentenced to nine months in jail for that theft and host of driving offences.

Daniel Curtis, 29, gave a false name to an employee at a west-end warehouse April 2 and said he was there to pick up box containing 16-cartons of cigarettes.

When the suspicious employee went to call police, Curtis grabbed the box and ran towards a nearby car dealership. Police arrested him a short time later and recovered the cigarettes, worth nearly $1,400.

During an appearance in territorial court Tuesday, Curtis pleaded guilty to possession of stolen property in connection with the crime Crown attorney Jonathan Burke described as "perhaps not intelligent."

The same day, Curtis pleaded guilty to two counts each of driving while prohibited and obstruction of justice stemming from a pair of ill-advised road trips in Rae last fall.

Police stopped Curtis in the North Slave hamlet when they spotted his truck - which did not have a rear window - weaving from one side of the road to another.

He gave police a false name in an ultimately futile attempt to conceal the fact his license had been suspended until 2007 because of an impaired driving conviction.

Less than two months later, Curtis was stopped at a police checkstop near the junction of Highway 3 and again gave an officer a false name - this time saying he was from Austin, Texas.

The officer who arrested Curtis, however, was the same one who stopped him in August. He was arrested and once again charged with driving while prohibited and obstruction of justice.

"(He displayed) a total lack of respect for those who enforce the law," said Bruke.

Chief Judge Brian Bruser sentenced Curtis to seven months in jail for the Rae incidents and two months for the cigarette theft.

He also barred Curtis from driving for two years.