The second day of a coroner’s inquest investigating the death of a 28-year-old inmate at a Saint John correctional facility continued on Wednesday with recounts of his final moments.
Skyler Sappier was in the final weeks of his sentencing at the Saint John Regional Corrections Centre when he was transported to a hospital after catching suspected COVID-19 in January 2022.
While in hospital, staff recalled he had a high heart rate and recorded low oxygen levels getting to his lungs.
Days before he died, Sappier went to registered nurses saying that he felt his lung capacity was at 70 per cent.
“He had a hard time speaking with us,” told Mark Shaw, a Manager at the Saint John Regional Hospital.
“There’s little doubt he would have to go to the ICU.”
As staff tried to get more oxygen to the lungs, attempts to get his O2 levels higher continued to fail, with staffers saying that Sappier got the most intense form of care.
He died days later.
The inquest heard from staff from the Saint John Regional Correctional Centre, who testified that COVID-19 was widespread throughout the facility. 89 of the 137 inmates had COVID-19 the day Sappier died, with an additional 59 staff members with the virus.
Masks were provided for inmates, but guards did not force the population to wear them. Gerry Wright, the jail’s superintendent, testified, “We can’t make more room than (whats) already there.”
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“How could we enforce them wearing it,” he continued.
The jail said the facility followed orders from public health, who did not take the stand in Saint John.
The jail’s management staff later revealed a lack of communication between hospital staff and the correctional facility.
It wasn’t until a family member called the jail that the superintendent was notified of the death of Sappier. They testified that communication had been a problem between the hospital and the jail.
Guards normally accompanying inmates were sent back to work at the correctional facility to alleviate staffing shortages. A temporary leave of absence was given to Sappier so the two guards could return to work.
Seventeen days earlier, Sappier applied for that temporary absence but was denied due to his past criminal history and history of violence. Those absences were granted to non-risk inmates who applied to alleviate the potential for COVID-19.
The superintendent said that his breach of probation was enough to tip the scales against Sappier.
His family stood emotionally outside the courthouse on Wednesday afternoon. They had decorated parts of the courtroom with cedar, an indigenous tradition aimed at combatting negative energy. The branches are typically burned afterwards.
“He was robbed of every being able to be a dad to his small children,” his mother, Dorris, told Global News.
“He was complaining for days in jail that he didn’t feel good, and I really blame the guards for not taking him right away.”
She said proper checks weren’t done on Sappier while he was ill. While the Coroner cannot name blame in an inquest, his mother points the finger at the guards.
“The doctor believed he had pneumonia for several days, and he was complaining as such. The facility staff didn’t take actions to properly treat Skyler,” said Chief Ross Perley.
“They ignored his complaints to the point where he was beyond treatment, and that’s a failure.”
The inquest is slated to resume tomorrow morning in Saint John. Global News will continue to follow this story as it develops.
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