The owner of a Chinese restaurant in downtown Edmonton where health inspectors found cockroaches and filthy kitchen conditions was fined $42,000 Monday.

Thang (Tom) Ly and his numbered company pleaded guilty to offences under the Public Health Act for repeatedly violating orders issued by Alberta Health Services.

Provincial court Judge John Henderson accepted a joint submission for the $42,000 fine after noting the Dynasty Century Palace Restaurant, 9700 105 Ave., had committed a "serious number" of health violations relating to the cleanliness and maintenance of the establishment.

According to agreed facts, health inspectors have been dealing with Public Health Act violations at the restaurant since 2009 and charges were laid after several inspections in 2014 noted the same violations were occurring and previous AHS orders were being ignored.

Alberta Health Services prosecutor Ryan Smith told court that, at the last two inspections, staff ran around trying to clean things up after inspectors showed up.

As well, inspectors noted that several deficient kitchen utensils that had been thrown out at an earlier inspection were apparently being used again.

The health violations include meat left out at room temperature, raw meat being stored above ready-to-eat foods, cockroach and flies activity, vegetables being chopped on the meat chopping table, food-encrusted bowls being used as scoops for dry goods, unclean washrooms and "extensive and blatant food safety and sanitation issues."

Court also heard that Ly was previously convicted of Public Health Act offences relating to another restaurant he owned and operated in 2010.

Defence lawyer Henry Kam-Shing Yung told court that Ly is remorseful and said he spent $100,000 renovating the restaurant last year and is planning further renovations.

Ly was given 18 months to pay the fines.