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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A Yellowknife man who went on a three-day crime spree in August was sentenced to one year in jail in territorial court on Tuesday.

"Unfortunately Mr. Elanik, you are at a point in your life where separation from society is the only option," said Judge Christine Gagnon before sentencing Shane Edward Elanik, 34, for two counts of break, enter and theft, possession of stolen property, theft and two breaches of probation. Besides the jail term, Elanik was also ordered to pay $6,642 for the stolen property.

Prior to sentencing, Elanik pleaded guilty to the offences.

The first offence occurred on Aug. 26 around midnight when Elanik and Norman Koe broke into the Brick and stole two, 55-inch televisions valued at $4,196. Koe was arrested hours later near the scene. Judge Bernadette Schmaltz sentenced him to six months in jail on Sept. 1 for break, enter and theft.

Three days later, on Aug. 29, Elanik broke into Central Mechanical Systems on Old Airport Road and stole $1,042 worth of property and stole computer equipment from Wal-Mart valued at $1,404, said Gagnon while recounting the facts of the case.

On Aug. 31, he was found in possession of stolen clothes valued at less than $5,000, a stolen Blackberry cellphone and an iPod.

Elanik was arrested in Wal-Mart on Aug. 31 after a store employee phoned police.

Crown prosecutor Jean-Benoit Deschamps requested a combined sentence for all the offences in the range of 18-22 months, whereas defence lawyer Anthony Parr asked for a lesser sentence of 12-14 months for his client.

Parr said Elanik has an addiction to crack cocaine and gave the stolen property to his drug dealer to pay for drugs. Parr added that Elanik is capable of paying a restitution order if one is imposed because he has been employed in the past. Elanik also expects to be awarded money in a lawsuit he filed against the GNWT for an incident at the North Slave Correctional Centre in which acid was thrown in his face. It wasn't revealed who allegedly threw the acid in Elanik's face nor when the incident took place.

Elanik was also sentenced to one day in jail satisfied by his Sept. 6 court appearance for causing a public disturbance by being intoxicated on Aug. 24.

Prior to Tuesday, Elanik had 24 prior convictions for property related offences since 1984, said Gagnon.

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