Andrew Raven
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (July 22/05) - A teenager caught driving with three times the legal amount of alcohol in his blood was sentenced to 100 hours of community service Monday.

The 17-year-old, who was on probation after being convicted in connection with a series of vehicle thefts last year, was also barred from driving for one year.

"I am surprised you could even walk, let along drive" said territorial court Judge Bernadette Schmaltz.

The teenager, whose name cannot be revealed because of federal laws that protect the identity of young offenders, pleaded guilty to four charges: driving with more than 80 milligrams of alcohol in his blood and three counts of breach of probation.

Police arrested the teen on an early Sunday morning last May, Crown attorney Sandra Aitken told the court.

After pulling into the Shell gas station on Range Lake Road, the teenager stumbled getting out of his truck, which police later discovered belonged to a friend.

The teenager told police he was unsure how he ended up in the vehicle.

He admitted to having about 10 beers and police later discovered 13 empties scattered in the truck. The teenager took two breathalyser tests at the Yellowknife RCMP detachment that pegged his blood alcohol level at 0.24 and 0.25 - a full three times the legal limit.

"These readings were very high," said Aitken, who did not seek jail time for the teen.

The teenager was convicted earlier this year of trashing a snowmobile and truck and was ordered to pay about $10,000 to the owners of the vehicles. About $6,000 was still owing when he appeared in court Monday.

Schmaltz ordered the teen to continue making the payments or warned he could face imprisonment. Schmaltz said it would be "sad and a waste of potential" if he went to jail for not making the payments.

While the teenager is not working, he is living at home and receiving about $1,200 per month unemployment insurance.