Glen Wareham inquest hears inmate pushed system 'beyond its limit'
Alan White | CBC News | Posted: October 18, 2016 6:15 PM | Last Updated: October 18, 2016
WARNING: This story contains graphic content
The first goal of the Shepody Healing Centre in dealing with Glen Edward Wareham was to protect him from himself, an inquest into the inmate's death was told on Tuesday.
Louis Blanchard, an institutional psychologist in Dorchester, testified he started working with Wareham in May 2007 and stated that all treatment options for Wareham had been exhausted and staff at the Shepody Healing Centre were mainly waiting for Wareham to be transferred elsewhere by the Correctional Service of Canada.
Wareham, 28, from New Waterford, N.S., died in hospital in Moncton in 2010 from complications from self-harm. He was an inmate at the Shepody Healing Centre, which is a mental health facility for prisoners operated by the Correctional Service of Canada. Chief Coroner Gregory Forestell is presiding over an inquest into Wareham's death in Moncton.
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Blanchard testified that for the three months he dealt with Wareham in 2007, the inmate was in restraints, which were used as a last resort.
Blanchard said Wareham was a special case because of his chronic high risk of self-injury.
"None of us was comfortable with this," said Blanchard. "We were trying to find a way to remove them."
Severe case
Blanchard said self-harm cases are commonly dealt with at Shepody Healing Centre, but never had there been a case as severe as Wareham's.
The psychologist said they would untie one of Wareham's hands or his legs, but the inmate injured himself on those occasions, so the restraints were put in place again.
Blanchard also testified that because Wareham had been on so many opioid drugs he became tolerant to them. He said the doses given to Wareham were so massive they would kill a normal person, but Wareham functioned normally.
He really liked the role of a patient. - Louis Blanchard, psychologist
Blanchard testified Wareham never admitted to him why he harmed himself, other than to say it was due to memories of childhood trauma.
However, Blanchard thought Wareham was trying to get back at prison staff or change his environment by harming himself.
"He really liked the role of a patient."
Blanchard testified he had never seen a case as severe and complex as Wareham's.
When asked what he would do differently in the future, Blanchard said he wasn't sure because "Glen pushed the system beyond its limit."
"It took us tome time to understand Glen's dynamics, but now that we had this experience we would be faster in identifying and figuring out what's going on."
Cause of death
Dr. Serge Landry testified he had never seen injuries like Wareham's in either severity or type, adding he had never seen or heard of anything close to it.
Landry said Wareham had a fixation with his abdomen. He would cut and tear open skin and muscle and reach into his abdominal cavity and injure his intestines.
Landry said Wareham would also insert a metal wire through his urethra and twist it. Wareham also inserted batteries through the urethra. He would also swallow objects.
"It affected everybody," said Landry. "The nurses that tended to him were upset and concerned. The officers were disturbed and upset.
"What disturbed people was that he was not a monster," he said. "He was polite and respectful and then you turn around and he is doing something horrible."
What disturbed people was that he was not a monster. - Dr. Serge Landry, physician for Correctional Service of Canada
The primary cause of Wareham's death was stated as dehydration. Landry said Wareham had sustained so many injuries to his abdomen, there was scarring and adhesions to his bowel, which paralyzes itself when injured.
Because Wareham's bowel wasn't working, he couldn't digest food. He was able to temporarily receive nourishment through an intravenous line, but that led to an infection and Wareham could no longer process food or absorb nutrients.
"There was no treatment available. He was a terminal man," said Landry.
Wareham asked for no more interventions to try and save his life.
On the death certificate Landry had to check a box about the manner of death, and whether Wareham's death was by suicide, accident or natural causes. Landry wrote it was a natural death.