A simple comment about muscled inmates “hoarding” the milk inside the Prince George Correctional Centre cafeteria began a chain of events that left the commenter and his jail bunk-mate beaten.
Earlier this month, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Paul Walker sentenced Jeremy James Aldred to 180 days in jail for two counts of assault after he pleaded guilty.
Minus time-served, his sentence was a day in jail.
Walker summarized the violence inside the institution in his reasons for sentencing, released this week.
Prisoner Larry McCarthy had arrived at the jail just before he was attacked on April 1, 2014.
“That morning, Mr. McCarthy complained at breakfast that the ‘big guys’ were ‘hoarding’ all of the milk allotted to the inmates. He complained in a voice loud enough so that he could be heard throughout the unit and went on to say that it wasn’t fair for the ‘smaller guys.’ Milk is carefully rationed so that just enough is put out for each inmate,” Walker explained.
“From his experience, larger in size prisoners who work out in the gym with weights take all of the milk for their protein.”
McCarthy had seen two other inmates “pour the milk into their large water jugs, leaving Mr. McCarthy with no milk.”
Later that day, Aldred lured McCarthy into a laundry room where one of those inmates confronted him over the milk comment and started “swinging his fist.”
“Mr. McCarthy dodged some of the swings and made his escape from the laundry room. As he tried to leave, Mr. Aldred grabbed his arm in an attempt to restrain him,” Walker noted.
Aldred later approached McCarthy in his cell and said: “It ain’t over. It’s my turn now.” McCarthy put his foot against the door to block Aldred.
The next day, McCarthy’s roommate Robert White was assaulted after dodging a ball thrown at him in the prison yard.
Aldred and three other inmates went to White’s cell after McCarthy had been told to stay away.
White was threatened in the cell and managed to escape to a landing “which is in full view of the guards below and the closed circuit cameras that monitor all activity,” Walker said.
White was struck by one of the inmates with Aldred.
“Evidence in the trial establishes that Mr. White suffered a severe fracture to his jaw as a result, was hospitalized, and has had and may well require future surgery. He is also disfigured and has pins in his jaw,” the judge said.
“Mr. Aldred did not participate directly in the blow to Mr. White. His role, I find, was to add presence of force through his physical presence.” Walker also sentenced Aldred to two years probation and ordered him not to have any contact with the victims.