A British Columbia judge must decide whether to send a repeat armed robber to prison for threatening a young boy or let the man's community take care of him.
"Do I maintain what's gone on and warehouse this man or try something new for his sake and the sake of the community?" said Provincial Court Judge Gail Sinclair.
He was referring to Willie Johnny, who threatened a 13-year-old boy with a knife and told him "I'm a warrior and kill white people" during a holdup in Lake Country, B.C., last September.
Johnny, 36, let the boy go when he gave him $8.75.
Although the boy wasn't hurt, the crime had a severe psychological effect on him, said Crown lawyer Ed Pedersen.
The boy was walking with two friends to a grocery store when Johnny confronted him.
Once Johnny grabbed the cash, he wandered into the store and came out eating chicken, court heard.
Police used a sniffer dog and tracked him to a nearby field, where he had passed out. The money was still in his pocket.
Johnny was convicted of two robberies and an attempted robbery in the Williams Lake area between 1992 and 2004. He used a gun in two of the crimes and spent more than five years behind bars.
He has fetal alcohol syndrome and endured a horrendous childhood, court heard.
Johnny attended a residential school as a boy, the same one where his mother was sexually abused, court heard.
Despite his criminal record, the Anahim band near Alexis Creek, B.C., has offered to give Johnny a home and support.
Defence lawyer Andrew Vandersluys said his client has committed to attending an aboriginal residential treatment facility and deal with his issues.
The Crown asked for four or five years in prison, but Vandersluys wants house arrest.
The judge delayed his decision until March 2.