SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - A man who drove drunk with his stepson in the vehicle and threatened his wife with a kitchen knife has been ordered to pay a $1,400 fine, spend 60 days in jail and refrain from driving for 18 months.

The 28-year-old Yellowknife man was pulled over in the Co-op parking lot on Oct. 2. Police said the man was trying to race with another vehicle while his 12-year-old stepson was with him in the vehicle, Crown prosecutor Janice Walsh said.

Walsh said his blood alcohol level was well over the legal limit.

Four days later, RCMP were called to his residence at around 7 p.m. where he was threatening to kill his spouse and brandishing a large kitchen knife.

"The accused jabbed the knife into a cupboard ... he put the knife away when police arrived," Walsh said, adding he also threatened to burn down the home.

The man had no previous criminal record.

The accused appeared in territorial court on Nov. 27 wearing a suit and tie, looking groomed and anxious. Defence lawyer Serge Petitpas said his client was acting out of character and regretted his actions.

"He was having an emotional, financial, and marital meltdown," he said. "He's remorseful and very embarrassed by the incident."

The man pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and assault with a weapon.

Commenting on the "aggressive nature of the assault," deputy judge Michel Bourassa said, "That's no excuse to say he'd had a meltdown ... it's not a lifesaver for the accused," he said.

Bourassa said domestic disputes become deadly all too often.

"Men going ballistic murdering their wife, children. This kind of thing is not uncommon. It's the women that are ending up on the floor with bloodstains," he said. "The man is going berserk with a knife. It must have been awful. In my opinion, that conduct is too serious to be dealt with with probation or a suspended sentence ... It went beyond a domestic spat."

When sentencing the man to 60 days in jail Bourassa said he wanted to send the message spousal assault isn't tolerated.

"I'm not trying to make excuses," the man told the court.

Bourassa agreed to allow the man to serve his sentence on weekends in order to accommodate his work schedule.