SASKATOON – A Saskatoon inmate who used a razor blade to escape from two corrections officers while being treated at Royal University Hospital will be sentenced next month.
Steven Best, 30, pleaded guilty Wednesday in Saskatoon provincial court to escaping lawful custody, assaulting a peace officer with a weapon, forcible confinement and armed robbery.
His lawyer says Best was being treated at the hospital for a traumatic brain injury he received during an attempted armed robbery at the Senator Hotel in December 2012.
After a hotel clerk was shot in the hand, other hotel employees piled on Best and beat him unconscious.
Police say while he was in custody awaiting a court date, he was taken to hospital and that’s when Best took a guard hostage while being escorted to the bathroom.
Corrections Minister Christine Tell says he then held a razor blade to one guard’s throat while forcing another guard to remove his shackles.
The government conducted an internal investigation into the escape and announced six recommendations in November.
Dale McFee, deputy minister of corrections, spoke about the need for better field training for corrections workers. However, he would not divulge how Best got his hands on a razor blade.
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