Andrew Raven
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Aug 10/05) - A Yellowknife man inching towards his 50th criminal conviction was fined $900 on Tuesday after being caught brazenly smoking crack-cocaine outside a downtown bar.

Part-time hunting guide Paul Abel, 38, pleaded guilty during a brief court hearing to possession of a controlled substance - his 48th conviction since 1983.

Chief Judge Brian Bruser imposed the fine - which was recommended by Crown attorney Caroline Carrasco - despite being "disturbed" by the message it sent.

"The cocaine problem in Yellowknife is like an invasive plague," Bruser said. "It is a plague that will not go away."

Crack - a relatively cheap and highly addictive cocaine derivative - has been the driving force behind break-ins, robberies, assaults and murder, Bruser said.

He wondered whether monetary penalties deter drug users or send the message that "if you want to party, it might cost you $800 to $1,000" - the typical range of fines for crack-cocaine possession.

Bruser decided against sending Abel to jail however, saying "all other available sanctions must be explored."

Police walking through an alleyway behind the Right Spot, June 11, spotted Abel standing on a patio outside of the downtown bar with a crack-pipe, Carrasco said. Another person exited the bar with crack-pipe as police approached Abel, she said.

Police seized one gram of the drug, which has a street value of between $80 and $120.

The conviction was his first for a drug-related crime, though his record contains a litany of entries for property offences.

Abel, originally from Lutsel K'e, was unemployed and living in a tent at the time.