Doctor, inmates testify during inquest into death of man at Regina Correctional Centre
An inmate and a forensic pathologist, along with nurses and corrections officers offered their testimonies on the second day of the public inquest into the death of Kalin Dean Holonics.
The 25-year-old from Estevan was found dead in his cell on July 9, 2020.
A forensic pathologist who conducted the autopsy on Holonics confirmed the inmate overdosed on a combination of drugs including Fentanyl and gabapentin, during testimony Tuesday.
Larry Worm, an inmate with a cell next to Holonics at the time, also testified.
Worm said Holonics was a good guy within the unit and never heard Holonics talk about drugs.
During the standing count on the morning of Holonics death, Worm said he went inside Holonics cell to wake him up.
Worm said he nudged Holonics to get out of bed and said his body was stiff.
He told the guard on duty Holonics was unresponsive.
Two statement videos from other inmates who cannot be identified due to a publication ban were used as evidence in Tuesday’s testimony.
Both acknowledged there is a drug problem within the Regina Correctional Centre.
One statement went as far as to say drugs like fentanyl, cocaine, crystal meth and cannabis are commonly brought into the correctional centre through "throw overs" into the prison yard.
A throw over references illegal drugs being thrown over prison walls and picked up by inmates who then smuggle the drugs back inside the correctional centre and sell them to other inmates.
A correction officer working the night shift when Holonics was unresponsive also took the stand.
Video evidence shows the guard performing checks up to policy standards throughout the night at 12 a.m., 3 a.m., and 5 a.m.
However, the total duration of time spent checking each cell was 1-3 seconds.
People who testified were asked for their opinion on ways to improve the correctional centre and what could be done to prevent deaths like Holonics’.
Testimonies are expected to finish Wednesday morning with jurors presenting their recommendations Wednesday afternoon.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.