A man charged with murder is one of two prisoners alleged to have attempted a movie-like prison break from the Vancouver Island Regional Correctional Centre last month.
Andrew Jonathon Belcourt and Max Matthew Higley, both 21, each face a single count of making a breach in a prison cell after a man-sized hole in the ceiling of their cell was discovered inside the maximum security prison on July 17.
Belcourt is charged with the murder of a Victoria man who was shot dead in March 2010.
During the attempted escape from prison, the public was never at risk, said Saanich police.
But a spokesperson for the corrections office said the breakout attempt had B次元官网网址渢he potential to be very serious.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚 can say that overcrowding in the living unit where this occurred possibly played a part,B次元官网网址� said Dean Purdy, chair of corrections and sheriff services with the B.C. Government Employees Union.
The prison was built to hold 206 inmates, but routinely houses 350 to 400, he said.
Saanich police say the men were sharing a cell when the breach in the ceiling was found.
The Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General wonB次元官网网址檛 comment on the incident, but said that B.C. Corrections is conducting a critical incident review. Saanich police are also investigating, which led to the two recent charges, sworn by Crown counsel on Friday.
B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 been some back and forth between investigators and Crown, and some request have been made for further investigations in certain areas, so thatB次元官网网址檚 where (we) are right now,B次元官网网址� Sgt. Dean Jantzen said.
The hole in the cell led to a pipe chase B次元官网网址� a space where plumbing and electrical conduits are kept.
B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 evidence that time was spent up there by a person or persons,B次元官网网址� Jantzen said.
Belcourt was arrested on March 3, 2010 after the body of Leslie Ronald Hankel, 52, was found in his downtown apartment. Belcourt, 19 at the time, was charged with murder, break and enter, and possession of a dangerous firearm.
Higley was serving a 72-day sentence after he pleaded guilty earlier this year to uttering threats, theft under $5,000 and breach of recognizance.
In July, when the B次元官网网址 first reported on the escape attempt, Kathy Corrigan, NDP critic for the ministry of public safety, said the ratio of guards to prisoners needs to be improved so corrections officers donB次元官网网址檛 have to deal with incidents like this.
B次元官网网址淲hen you have a situation like this where you have a potential breakout and you donB次元官网网址檛 have adequate personnel, I think that the possibility of a crisis situation is made worse when this ratio is so poor,B次元官网网址� Corrigan said. B次元官网网址淭his time, apparently a breakout was prevented, but there are potential tragedies waiting in the wings if things arenB次元官网网址檛 improved.B次元官网网址�
Belcourt and Higley are both expected to appear in court Thursday on the new charges.
B次元官网网址� with files from Erin Cardone
kslavin@saanichnews.com
