SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A Tlicho man has been sentenced to 90 days in jail and banned from getting behind the wheel until 2024 after his fourth driving while disqualified conviction.

Peter Arrowmaker, 66, who is the speaker of the Tlicho Assembly, was sentenced by Judge Christine Gagnon in territorial court on March 20. Court heard that he has five drinking and driving convictions on his record since 1975 and now has four other convictions for driving while disqualified.

Court heard that he was pulled over in Yellowknife on May 10 of last year by a municipal enforcement officer who recognized him and knew he was prohibited from driving. Arrowmaker, who was represented by defence lawyer Tu Pham, had said he needed to check his trap lines and was unable to find a driver that day.

Crown prosecutor Duane Praught pointed out since 2010, Arrowmaker has accumulated 11 years of driving prohibitions.

He called for a further six to eight year driving prohibition on this latest conviction.

"Two previous jail sentences have not deterred him," Praught told the judge.

Praught also called for a four-month jail term and opposed any conditional sentence. Gagnon said Arrowmaker's pre-sentence report was conflicting as to whether he has an alcohol addiction. She said she doesn't think his driving while disqualified charges are related to any substance abuse issues that Arrowmaker might have.

"Driving is a privilege," Gagnon said.

"This was intentional disobedience of the order disqualifying him to drive."

Gagnon did acknowledge that Arrowmaker is Dene and a residential school survivor. She also pointed out that it had been 17 months since his last conviction for driving while disqualified but she noted that he had been convicted of the same offence in 2013 and twice in 2011. In sentencing Arrowmaker, Gagnon said aggravating factors working against him included three breaches of probation and a conviction for being unlawfully at large in 2014.

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