SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - A 23-year-old Behchoko man received a sentence of 30 days in jail on March 9 for driving a vehicle under the influence of alcohol.

"Riding around in that condition, in the middle of the afternoon - the luckiest thing that happened to you that day was getting caught," said territorial court Judge Bernadette Schmaltz.

Rick Wedzin was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol by an off-duty police officer on Jan. 23 on Highway 3 near Behchoko. He has one prior conviction for drinking and driving.

The police officer was driving in his personal vehicle on the road into Behchoko that morning when he saw a truck swerving in the oncoming lane, according to Crown prosecutor Terri Nguyen, who read the agreed statement of facts.

As the officer got closer to the truck, it swerved into his lane and almost hit him, forcing the officer to dodge out of the way, she told the court.

The police officer then followed the truck onto Highway 3 and attempted to pull it over. In the process, he was almost hit again by the swerving truck, she said. The off-duty officer eventually managed to get the truck to pull over. He put on his RCMP jacket, which he had with him, and approached the truck.

The police officer saw the driver, Wedzin, had glazed, red eyes, and he had two passengers who appeared "passed out," according to Nguyen.

"When asked for his driver's licence, he said he did not have one," she said.

Wedzin said he hadn't had a drink since 8 a.m. He was arrested and given three breath tests, which he failed.

The legal limit of alcohol in the NWT is under 50 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood. Wedzin scored 240 mg, then 200 mg, then 230 mg during the tests.

"He's got no driver's licence. He's got no right to be on the road," said Nguyen.

She asked for a sentence of 30 days in jail and a two-year driving prohibition.

Wedzin's lawyer, Peter Fuglsang, said Wedzin has a 6-year-old son, and is upgrading his marks in school to get a high school diploma. Fuglsang asked the judge to issue a fine rather than a jail sentence.

Wedzin apologized to the court and said when he looks back on that day, and what could have happened, it scares him.

In addition to the jail time, Wedzin is not allowed to drive for two-and-a-half years.