N.S. man convicted of threatening to kill jail guard

A 23-year-old Nova Scotia man has been convicted of threatening to kill or seriously injure a jail guard after an incident at the Northeast Nova Scotia Correctional Facility in Pictou, N.S.

Dylan Douglas Michael Parsons was being held in the segregation unit of the jail on the night of Aug. 15, 2015. He was serving time for a variety of offences including theft, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and flight from police.

According to court documents, three guards entered Parsons' cell because they suspected him of having "unauthorized items" — namely a shirt and a towel.

Parsons was handcuffed and stripped of his clothes. Some of the incident was captured on security video, which was shown during his trial in Nova Scotia Supreme Court in Pictou. There was no audio on the video and Parsons' lawyer disputed whether his client ever threatened any guard.

'I'll make sure I end your career'

According to testimony from corrections officer Kayla Lamb, Parsons became agitated during the incident and it was then he threatened her.

"I will shit-bomb you and stab you up because you can't keep me in here," Lamb quoted Parsons in her testimony.

"I have no problem assaulting you and doing [penitentiary] time because that will make me look super cool. I'll make sure I end your career."

In convicting Parsons, Justice Michael Wood said he accepted Lamb's quotation of the threat as accurate.

"That is what he said and the logical conclusion is that Mr. Parsons intended to create a state of fear that would result in her treating him differently," Wood wrote. "That amounts to impeding the performance of her duties."

Wood concluded that the Crown has proven that Parsons' words amounted to intimidation of a justice participant.