Statutory release revoked over assault, drug use
A man who fatally beat a fellow inmate in the weight room of a Maple Ridge jail seven years ago has had his statutory release revoked for repeatedly breaching his conditions and attacking a prison guard.
Alexander Dinu Tanasescu, 35, appeared before the Parole Board of Canada late last month after having his release suspended.
He is serving a sentence of just over five years — reduced from nine years after he was given credit for time served — after pleading guilty to manslaughter in connection with the death of 36-year-old Blair Thomas Cody.
The attack, which took place on May 19, 2010 at Fraser Regional Correctional Centre, was caught on surveillance video. It showed Cody walking up to Tanasescu and the two men having a brief conversation, after which Tanasescu punched Cody in the face.
When Cody fell to the floor, Tanasescu kicked and punched him multiple times. Tanasescu turned and walked away, but returned seconds later to continue the beating, stomping on Cody’s head and punching and kicking him some more.
The attack, which lasted less than a minute, left Cody unconscious. He was taken to hospital, but he remained in a persistent vegetative state until he died more than 10 months later.
Tanasescu told the court that Cody provoked him by calling him a “goof ”.
Tanasescu was given statutory release, which is automatically granted to most offenders after they have served two-thirds of their sentence, on Aug. 18, 2016. Everything appeared to go well for the first two months, but in October 2016 a drug test showed he had used cocaine. His release was maintained, but the next day he showed signs of a drug overdose.
He was subsequently suspended, but then his release was reinstated. The next month, he used drugs once again and was suspended. After being given one more chance, Tanasescu was found in December 2016 to be intoxicated. Once back in prison, he was found to have drugs and was segregated for bringing contraband into the facility.
“Since returning to custody your behaviour has been problematic and on May 23, 2017, you physically assaulted a correctional officer,” the parole decision states.
Charges are being considered and Tanasescu continues to be in a maximum-security facility.
“Your levels of motivation and accountability are considered low. The reintegration potential is also related as low,” the decision states.
Tanasescu is still assessed as a high risk for general and violent recidivism, has a mixed history of community supervision, and his criminal history has more than 20 convictions for property, breach of trust, drugs and violent offences.
The board decided that Tanasescu presents an undue risk to society and revoked his statutory release. It also imposed new conditions for when he is once again entitled to statutory release.