Inquests Announced Into Death Of Inmates In BC Prison

Vancouver – The BC Coroners Servicehas announced that dates for a publicinquest into the deaths of Roland JosephBourque and David Edwin Fast, bothinmates at the North Fraser Pre-trialCentre in Port Coquitlam.Mr. Bourque, aged 69, died on the morningof April 3, 2012. He was pronounceddead at the scene. His inquest will beginon June 2, 2014, at the Coroners Court inBurnaby.Mr. Fast, aged 55, died on July 27, 2013,at Royal Columbian Hospital in NewWestminster. He had been taken to hospitalearlier that day after being found inmedical distress in the cells at the NorthFraser Pre-Trial Centre.Presiding coroners Liana Wright, KellyBarnard and a jury will hear evidencefrom witnesses under oath to determinethe facts surrounding this death. The jurywill have the opportunity to make recommendationsaimed at preventingdeaths under similar circumstances.North Fraser Pre-trial Centre has seensome controversy over the last few years.In 2012 a chronic offender, DavidWilliam Brodrick, 44, was found dead inhis cell an hour after three other inmatesin the unit paid him a visit. The circumstancessurrounding the death were suspiciousenough that the IntegratedHomicide Investigation Team was calledto investigate. 2012 also saw a suicidedeath as an inmate fell three floors to hisdeath.In 2012 a South Asian correctional officerwas assaulted hours after anotherguard was attacked. The South Asianguard was taken to hospital with a seriouseye injury. In 2010 three correctionalofficers at North Fraser were beaten upby inmates in separate incidents. Of thethree officers attacked, one had a concussionand was off work for severalweeks after he was knocked to theground and hit his head on a brick wall.Another guard was sucker-punched andsuffered facial injuries. The third officerwas elbowed and kicked in the head.