A woman will spend a number of her weekends in jail for being caught behind the wheel with a blood alcohol level nearly three times the legal limit.
In Inuvik Territorial Court Jan. 19, Shaylene Caroline Nerysoo, 27, pleaded guilty to one count of driving while impaired. Judge Christine Gagnon sentenced her to a 30-day intermittent sentence, fined her $100 and barred her from driving for two years.
"This is the mandatory minimum sentence for a second offence," said Gagnon in her judgment.
Crown prosecutor Matthew Smith told court Aklavik RCMP received a report that Nerysoo was driving around the community while intoxicated on April 25 and had struck an ATV driver, damaging her own vehicle.
After patrolling the community, RCMP found her vehicle parked at a residence. Upon entering, police found her lying in bed with a half-full 40-ounce bottle of vodka. Police asked her to give up her car keys, which she refused.
The officers left, then while on patrol around 11:40 p.m. they spotted her vehicle approaching them. Nerysoo was driving.
Police conducted a traffic stop and observed Nerysoo had bloodshot eyes and the vehicle had the odour of liquor. She was arrested and taken back to the detachment where she gave two breath samples, the lowest was 230 mg/100mL blood alcohol content.
"That's close to three times the limit," said Smith. "Ms. Nerysoo made the decision to drive in spite of the RCMP and friends encouraging her to give her keys up."
Her lawyer, Kate Oja, said Nerysoo was under extreme mental duress at the time because a close friend was dying of cancer.
"There are unique factors at play that brought her to court today," said Oja.