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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE -A Yellowknife man pleaded guilty to breaking and entering as well as theft charges relating to numerous local businesses Tuesday.

Kristopher Hrynczuk, 31, was sentenced to 12 months in jail, with six months credit for time served.

Crown prosecutor Glen Boyd told the court the break-and-enters included one at the Millwright Restaurant in the Chateau Nova Hotel on April 23, 2008.

A Caucasian man was seen by police climbing out of a rear window where he "dropped a bottle of liquor while fleeing," said Boyd. After police checked the restaurant, they found the area where liquor and cash was stored had been disturbed. Hrynczuk was identified as a suspect and charged after a fingerprint found at the scene matched his own.

On Oct. 3, police responded to a break-and-enter at Sam's Monkey Tree when an alarm went off. No one was found inside but liquor bottles had been taken and fingerprints were found on a window believed to have been used to enter or exit the building. The fingerprints again matched Hrynczuk's.

He was also charged with two counts of theft from Oct. 5 and Oct. 7 relating to items taken from Wal-Mart. Boyd said Hrynczuk, along with another man, took "a number of binoculars and other related items" from a display case. During the second incident he took two laptop computers from the store while another man acted as a lookout. The RCMP found Hrynczuk a few days later and recovered the stolen items.

"This individual has a lengthy criminal record," said Boyd. He asked that Hrynczuk not be allowed to attend the places he stole from as part of his probation.

"At a certain point businesses in this community need protection," he said.

Hrynczuk spent close to three months in jail while trying to obtain a lawyer. During previous court appearances there was confusion between the Crown and defence council as to what had happened to Hrynczuk's disclosure documents showing the evidence against him. During his last court appearance on Jan. 6 defence lawyer Stephen Shabala took on Hrynczuk's case.

Gorin said Hrynczuk has around 30 convictions on his record.

"It seems you have made a career choice here," said Gorin. In addition to six months in jail, Hrynczuk will also have to submit to a DNA order and one-year probation, which includes not being within 20 metres of Sam's Monkey Tree, Wal-Mart or the Millwright Restaurant.