Family of inmate who died in Nova Scotia jail starts legal action against province

Relatives of a 60-year-old antheral who took his ain beingness successful a Nova Scotia jailhouse aft agelong periods of confinement successful his compartment person launched a suit against the province.

The woman and sons of Richard Douglas Murray are alleging successful Nova Scotia Supreme Court that unit astatine the jailhouse failed to show him decently and guarantee helium wasn’t spending “unreasonable and unsafe” amounts of clip successful his cell.

The allegations, described successful a Sept. 12 announcement of enactment written by lawyer Devin Maxwell, person yet to beryllium tested successful court.

According to letters Murray sent from the jailhouse to his wife, Mary Hendsbee, helium seldom was capable to permission his compartment astatine the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility owed to unit shortages.

Murray’s letters picture conditions successful the jailhouse arsenic “total cruelty.”

According to an autopsy report, Murray was recovered by different inmates hanging successful his compartment connected Jan. 15, a bedsheet tied astir his neck.

The study said that the time before, Murray had been assessed for suicidal thoughts and was returned to his cell.

At the time, Murray had been awaiting proceedings for 9 months aft his apprehension connected charges of pointing a firearm and uttering threats astatine his location adjacent Antigonish, N.S. — charges helium intended to vigorously contention successful court.

If you oregon idiosyncratic you cognize is reasoning astir suicide, enactment is disposable 24/7 by calling oregon texting 988, Canada’s nationalist termination prevention helpline.

This study by The Canadian Press was archetypal published Sept. 20, 2024.