A Whitehorse man has been designated as a long-term offender, and will serve 137 days in jail.

Richard “Ricky” Linkater, 34, was sentenced in Whitehorse territorial court Monday afternoon.

He had been convicted on charges of robbery, the failure to comply with a probation order, and escaping lawful custody.

“Mr. Linklater has a lengthy record with approximately 50 convictions,” Deputy Judge Heino Lilles said of the long-term offender decision.

He noted that eight of these convictions involved violence.

The designation was made on the robbery conviction, to which Linklater pleaded guilty. He received a sentence of two years with time served, leaving 17 days remaining.

The 2015 robbery took place in front of the Westmark Whitehorse Hotel, where Linklater dragged the victim to the ground while trying to steal her purse.

Her wallet and its contents were later recovered.

Linklater’s other sentences will be served concurrent to one another but consecutive to the robbery charge.

This totals 120 days to be served, in addition to the 17 days left in his robbery sentence.

He has also been sentenced to pay a total of $900 in federal victim surcharges. According to Public Safety Canada, these fees are intended to help fund programs and services for victims of crime.

The long-term offender designation is given to individuals convicted of a “serious personal injury offence” who, based on evidence, is likely to reoffend.

The designation can result in a term of supervision up to 10 years after an offender’s release.

The Crown, represented by Noel Sinclair, initially asked for a dangerous offender designation.

This designation is given to offenders convicted of violent offences if the “court is satisfied that the offender constitutes a threat to the life, safety or physical or mental well-being of the public.”

As a result, the offender may receive an indefinite sentence of imprisonment.

The escaping lawful custody conviction stems from a Sept. 26, 2015 incident where Linklater fled the Whitehorse courthouse barefoot while making an appearance in territorial court. He was on the run nearly a month before he was arrested in Whitehorse by the RCMP.

Linkater’s previous convictions come from several incidents.

Those include:

• striking an employee of a downtown bar on the head and stealing cash in 2012;

• robbing the now-demolished Roadhouse off-sales store on Second Avenue at knifepoint in 2004; and

• an attempted robbery at Riverside Grocery in 2004.

Before he left the courtroom, Judge Lilles addressed Linklater, saying, “And Ricky, good luck to you, Sir.”