courthouse


The public inquest on the death of prisoner Corey John Cross continued this morning and into this afternoon.

Dr. Vijaykumar Ashtekar, chief psychiatrist for the Cypress Health Region had been dealing with Cross since May of 1998. He had been filling the same prescription for Cross since 1998, and noted that Cross always responded well with the medications, and never appeared to feel the need to harm others or himself.

Over the course of the 11 years, Dr. Ashtakar testified Cross would often call the RCMP and tell him he had a gun to his head and would like to be admitted.  It is believed he admitted himself about 14-15 times.  Ashtakar confirmed Cross had always been very open with his suicidal thoughts, giving him reason to believe he may not be an extreme risk.

In August of 2007, Cross had been diagnosed with anti-social personality disorder, and alcohol dependency, and experienced hallucinations, which is mostly common in schizophrenics.

During a later meeting, R. Ashtakar testified that Cross admitted to hearing voices and that he wanted help to make the voices stop.

Ashtakar last saw Cross on April 18th, 2009 when he was brought in from the RCMP detachment after complaining of chest pains. While unsure of the events of the night before, Dr. Ashtaka testified that Cross claimed the voices were back. The RCMP declined Dr. Ashtakar's request to have him admitted because he couldn't be forced to stay at the hospital. However, Ashtakar told the inquest he believed Cross would be okay being released back into police custody, providing he kept taking his medications.

It is also noted under the Mental Health Act that a patient can only be detained in a psychiatric ward if they pose a severe risk to himself or others. 

The next witness was an Anatomical Pathologist who is in charge of forensic pathology in Regina.  He received the autopsy for Cross on April 23rd, 2009.  The autopsy proved there was bruising on the front exterior of the neck, but the marks disappear in the back, and there are no signs of internal hemorrhaging in the neck. The Doctor noted this is common when using a soft fabric for suffocation.

The results of the autopsy did prove that there were no indications of foul play or anything that may have contributed to the cause of death, and the toxicology report proved there were no signs of alcohol or prescription drug abuse.

The court heard on the first day of testimony that Cross was found with a white fabric wrapped around his neck and the bars of his cell.

The next witness, an expert in the field of forensic pathology, and the assistant chief medical examiner in Calgary, received photos of Cross at his time of death. He was also provided several transcripts from the police and guards who had come in contact with Cross.

While the doctor did note there were signs of skin discoloration and rigamortis, which is consistent in all common deaths, there is no exact timeline that can be given in terms of how long it took before the death took place, or how long from the last time someone had physically seen him alive to when found dead.

Testimony continues this afternoon. It is expected the court will hear from a guard who was on duty on April 22, 2009 when Cross was found dead.