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Flannery inquestJudge says escape not plannedStaff at the Brandon Mental Health Centre could not predict the escape of a patient later found drowned, according to an inquest report.Provincial Court Judge Rodney Mykle, who presided over the three-day inquest, called Keith Herbert Flannery’s escape July 4 ‘an unpredictable, unplanned manifestation of behavior” His report was released this morning.The badly-decomposed body of Flannery, 37, was found floating in the Assiniboine River July 15, 1984, but Judge Mykle concluded it was impossible to tell whether he died accidentally or committed suicide.Flannery, who had a history of mental illness, was sent to BMHC in 1983 after being found not guiltyby reason of insanity on two charges of first-degree murder.He had set fire to his Pipestone farm home earlier that year, killing his father and a cousin, under the delusion they wanted to return him to BMHC.During the inquest, which ended April 25, BMHC director Garry Mattin and a psychiatrist questioned whether the centre should hold criminally-insane patients.Mr. Mattin said the centre was not well-equipped to handle such people, and such cases should be ‘‘very seriously reviewed” before coming to Brandon.The inquest was also told the public was never notified Flannery had escaped.But Judge Mykle said these “important questions’’ were outside the scope of his inquiry.However, the infirmary window through which Flannery prob ably escaped has since been locked.Chief provincial psychiatrist John Toews said the province will review the Flannery case and recommendations from the judge and hospital staff before making changes to the current system.But Dr. Toews said he is not convinced a maximum-seeurity prison is the best place for the criminally-insane.“The whole issue is whether they respond adequately to treatment . . . We have to tailor the placement of the person to that.’’
Newspaper Details
Brandon Sun
Brandon, Manitoba, CA
Mon, May 06, 1985
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Tyler M.
NA, NA 19 Feb 2025
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