Five years after Norman Hache was sentenced for his role as head of a cocaine trafficking enterprise in the NWT, mother Arlene Hache will now reclaim the Mercedes used to carry out much of the operation.

Arlene appeared in court Tuesday as an applicant to retrieve the car, a Mercedes ML500, that had been seized in 2016 as offence related property.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been a six-year odyssey,鈥� Arlene said.

She told the court that she had purchased the vehicle at Norman鈥檚 request on the understanding that he would pay her back in installments since he had no credit to buy the car on his own.

She insisted, however, that Norman register for his own insurance since she 鈥渄idn鈥檛 trust that he wouldn鈥檛 drink and drive.鈥�

Crown Prosecutor Duane Praught presented a series of vehicle registration documents with Norman鈥檚 signature and his Forest Drive residence listed to demonstrate that Norman owned the vehicle and it should remain seized, whether or not Arlene paid.

He noted that the car was listed under Norman鈥檚 name at the time of arrest, and that ownership to Arlene was transferred 10 months after it was seized.

鈥淪he has no legal interest in the vehicle,鈥� Praught said. Norman owned the vehicle, he told the court, 鈥渨hat she thought she owned, is irrelevant.鈥�

Praught described Norman鈥檚 dealings, driving around to sell cocaine, collect cash, and transport drugs from Calgary to four communities across the territory.

Norman was, at the time, working for Jerrie鈥檚 Delivery Service - a business he and Arlene had co-owned and sold to Todd and Brittany Dube months prior. The Dubes鈥� would later be sentenced for their role in the drug scheme as well.

鈥淭his vehicle was used in the commission of crime,鈥� Praught said. 鈥淢s. Hache never once used the vehicle.鈥�

Arlene said she knew nothing of the trafficking ahead of her son鈥檚 arrest, but that she continues to make monthly payments on the car and doesn鈥檛 鈥渨ant to totally lose out.鈥�

She told the court that her life鈥檚 work has been in advocating for victims and working at a shelter for women, many of whom face additions.

鈥淚 would not support drug dealing in any way,鈥� she said, distancing herself from any relation to her son鈥檚 criminality.

Justice Andrew Mahar granted Arlene鈥檚 application to reclaim the car.

He said that while 鈥渢he court has no sympathy for the situation Mr. Hache finds himself in, that鈥檚 not what we鈥檙e here to deal with.鈥�

Mahar agreed the Mercedes was in Norman鈥檚 name until 10 months after his arrest, but said he had to assume the transfer was not made to avoid the car鈥檚 forfeiture.

He acknowledged the $41,000 Arlene paid for the car and said that 鈥渆ven if all the paperwork is in his name, Mr. Hache has no equity in this vehicle.鈥�

鈥淚 just don鈥檛 see any other fair way of dealing with this.鈥�