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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - A Yellowknife man has been found guilty of sexually assaulting an RCMP officer while he was being arrested.

Dayl Hein, 40, was convicted Friday for a March 26 sexual assault in which he fondled a female police officer's crotch.

"On the totality of the evidence I find (Hein) guilty," said Judge Brian Bruser.

Hein claimed during trial there was no inappropriate touching on his part. He did admit to being intoxicated with a mix of vodka and prescribed painkillers in his system.

RCMP had arrested Hein after responding to a call at Sandstone Apartments in March. A window had been broken and a trail of blood led the officers to an apartment unit where Hein was found on a couch with a bleeding hand.

The sexual assault took place outside the apartment building while the female officer was trying to get Hein into the police vehicle. His hands were handcuffed behind his back when, according to the officer during a trial, he placed his hands on her belt and then dropped down and stopped on her crotch to "massage, fondle."

In addition to the sexual assault conviction, Hein also pleaded guilty on Friday to a multitude of charges, including dangerous driving, evading a police officer and failing to comply with an undertaking. The three charges stem from a high-speed chase involving Hein on April 29.

Hein was driving a red Ford Ranger truck that was reported to police to be driving erratically and making doughnuts on 49 Street at roughly 4:45 a.m.

After the fifth complaint came into police they were able to locate the vehicle on 52 Avenue. Hein was then pursued by three police vehicles while speeding through downtown Yellowknife. During the chase Hein broadsided a police vehicle causing significant damage to the car, but not injuring any officers.

RCMP called off the chase and later located the truck at the home of the registered owner. The owner was not the driver, but Hein was inside the house and arrested by police.

Other charges Hein pleaded guilty to are two counts of failure to appear in court on March 26 and April 29, driving without a licence and operating a vehicle without insurance after being ticketed on April 11. Hein also entered a guilty plea for breach of an undertaking for driving while intoxicated and under a condition not to consume alcohol.

"Mr. Hein doesn't appear to care too much about other people," said Bruser.

Hein said he had been attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings since being put in custody roughly three-and-a-half months ago.

"I was not myself for a period of time," he said.

Hein will be sentenced for all convictions on Monday, Aug. 25.