Niagara Detention Centre inmate convicted of assault

Despite both of his victims refusing to co-operate with police, a Niagara man was convicted of two counts of assault which took place inside Niagara Detention Centre.

Jeffrey England, 38, was sentenced to 60 days behind bars, on top of the sentence he is currently serving at the Thorold jail.

On Jan. 24, 2017, court was told, video cameras inside the jail captured England and a second inmate attacking a third man. England delivered “a large quantity of punches” to the victim’s head, and then kicked the man in the head repeatedly after he fell to the floor. The bloodied victim first denied medical attention but was treated at hospital for injuries that were not life-threatening.

The second assault took place Feb. 15 and was also caught on video. The video, court heard, shows England smacking another inmate upside his head in what appeared to be an unprovoked assault.

“Institutional assaults often have their own unique difficulties of proof,” said defence lawyer Mark Evans. “The victims are often less interested than authorities in pursuing the matter.”

Judge Fergus O’Donnell conceded to a joint submission of 60 days.

“You have to decide what kind of human being you want to be,” he told the defendant. “A type of person who gangs up on another inmate is not the person you want to be.”