New details emerge in case of inmate beaten, stabbed at Dartmouth jail
(Andrew Vaughan/Canadian Press - image credit)
A man who was beaten and stabbed by fellow inmates at a Dartmouth, N.S., jail more than a year ago had been admitted to the facility just 20 minutes or so before the vicious attack, according to information contained in a court decision released Thursday.
A timeline of the incident is among the new details included in the decision by Justice Jamie Campbell of the Nova Scotia Supreme Court, who was ruling on a request by three of the 15 inmates accused in the Dec. 2, 2019, attack to have their charges stayed.
The three inmates argued strip-searches conducted by police and guards at the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility following the attack violated their charter rights.
Campbell disagreed and said the strip-search was justified.
"Any breach in this case would not have been of such a serious kind that continuation of the trial would prejudice the integrity of the justice system," Campbell wrote in his decision.
15 charged in attack
Charges against the 15 inmates include attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and aggravated assault.
According to evidence Campbell reviewed in reaching his decision, the victim was seen on jail security video walking into his cell, followed moments later by several inmates. The cell door was closed and a number of inmates took up positions in front of the door.
Correctional officers noticed what was happening and called for help.
"For about three minutes the inmates stood in front of the cell while the correctional officers were unable to get in," Campbell wrote.
"There is evidence to support the contention that the actions of those standing in front of the cell were not entirely random but purposeful. The inmates standing in front of the cell were yelling at the officers and the officers could hear what they described as an assault going on inside the cell. Inmates yelled 'This has to happen. Don't touch us.' And 'We're not done yet. We're done when we say we're done.'"
'It's done,' guards heard
Campbell wrote that guards heard someone inside the cell say "It's done," at which point the crowd dispersed.
The 46-year-old victim was able to walk out of his cell, but he then collapsed and was transported to hospital. He had numerous superficial stab wounds, several facial lacerations, a collapsed lung and a fractured rib. He was released from hospital two days later.
The judge said it was reasonable to infer from the man's stab wounds that a weapon had been used, so strip-searches were a reasonable measure for authorities to take.
The 15 accused have elected to be tried by a judge alone. That trial is scheduled for November.
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