Lisa Scott
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Sep 02/05) - A 16-year-old found with a pellet gun in his jacket after RCMP arrested him for uttering threats will serve 100 hours of community service.

The unidentified male was arrested in February after bragging to friends about taking a gun to a Yellowknife high school to protect a friend from other boys.

He admitted bragging to his cousin and friend that he had the gun and might use it on two other youth at the school.

He was expelled after his arrest and does not currently attend school.

Territorial Justice Robert Gorin noted it was the youth's "first scrape" with the law, but called the case disturbing.

"It is the absence of a criminal record that is saving you from going to jail today," he told the youth.

The community service sentence is to be served over four months. The youth was put on probation for one year and prohibited from owning a firearm for 10 years.

Defence attorney Bryan Auge asked for 30-40 hours of community service to be handed down.

"What we have here is a young boy who did something stupid," he said.

The youth will be able to apply to the chief firearms officer before the 10-year prohibition period is up to have a rifle for the purposes of hunting or employment.