No hint of inmate's impending suicide, justice minister says

There was no sign that a St. John's inmate who killed himself this week was suicidal, a provincial government minister says.

Justice Minister Jerome Kennedy said an internal investigation into the suicide of Darren Fagan is not complete, but no one at Her Majesty's Penitentiary saw it coming.

"There was no indication at this point that the individual was in a worried state of mind or agitated state of mind," Kennedy told reporters Friday during a briefing in St. John's.

Fagan was found dead at the prison on Tuesday morning, hours before his trial on kidnapping and sexual assault with a weapon was to start at Newfoundland Supreme Court.

Fagan spent his final day meeting with his lawyers, and was checked on several times by warders.

Even an hour before he was found dead, there was no sign of trouble, Kennedy said.

"At approximately 5:30 that morning, a patrol was conducted of the various cells, and there was no problem at that point," he said.

About an hour later, when the next patrol was conducted, "the gentleman was found dead," Kennedy said.

The minister also addressed the issue of the facility itself, and said the jail — parts of which date to the 19th century — has outlived its usefulness and needs to be replaced.

Mental health advocates and those who work with inmates have argued for a new jail with specialized resources.

The provincial government is looking for federal assistance to build a new jail and may be willing to build one alone.

Both the office of the chief medical examiner and the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary have concluded their investigations into Fagan death.

Chief medical examiner Simon Avis said he would not release any details on how Fagan killed himself. The RNC said only that foul play has been ruled out.

Justice Michael Harrington, who was to have presided over Fagan's trial, announced the suicide in court on Tuesday morning, when he dismissed the jury.

Fagan was charged after a woman was abducted from a gas station in the Kilbride area of St. John's. She was held in a car overnight and was sexually assaulted before she was able to escape in St. Mary's Bay.