The question remains whether police and staff at a Saskatoon hospital should have kept Stanley Robillard there against his wishes on the night he died three years ago.
The 46-year-old man was highly intoxicated, had fallen at least twice hitting his head and later died from these injuries in a Saskatoon jail cell – a coroner’s inquest into his death heard Monday.
Robillard was taken to St. Paul’s Hospital on July 15, 2010 but discharged about an hour-and-a-half later after refusing medical attention and signing a waiver form authorizing his release.
From video evidence shown at the inquest, it is not clear during his time in hospital if Robillard was examined by a doctor or even fully by a nurse.
He died in the early morning hours of the next day in Saskatoon police cells from blunt trauma to his head that had been suffered as the result of his falls.
Robillard had been attempting to enter the Toon Town Tavern on Fairlight Drive when he fell at least twice around 9 p.m. in the evening.
Witnesses called 911 and paramedics, who were the first on the scene, later called police after he refused medical attention.
Saskatoon Police Sgt. Grant Little, the lead investigator on the case, said Robillard would have been checked on in his cell by staff about 25 times between the hours of 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. on the night he was detained.
A video shown at the inquest shows Robillard becoming unresponsive around 5:44 a.m. and staff determines he is not breathing around 5:52 a.m.
Little says he was then taken to Royal University Hospital where Robillard was pronounced dead at around 6:22 a.m.
Harvey Waddell, who witnessed Robillard fall outside the Toon Town Tavern and lose consciousness, also testified at the inquest Monday.
Waddell says Robillard told EMTs he had between 12 and 14 drinks that evening.
Friends and family of the heavy equipment operator wept several times during testimony.
The inquest continues Tuesday morning with testimony from an employee of the Toon Town Tavern and staff at St. Paul’s Hospital.