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Despite admitting he swallowed drugs to smuggle them back into prison, an Ontario man was acquitted of trafficking charges because he said a fearsome inmate called Big Newf made him do it. Prosecutors warn his defence now “reads like a recipe for other inmates” to avoid legal consequences for their crimes because, court heard, “jails are inherently violent places.”
The unusual defence, accepted Friday by the Court of Appeal for Ontario, paints a grim picture of life behind bars and the inability of authorities to protect those who are locked inside what are supposed to be the most controlled and secure places in the country.
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Carol Hunter, a volunteer at G.O. Development Corp., wraps Christmas presents during the organizationâs gift and food distribution event on Friday morning in Ashtabula. The distribution replaced an annual Christmas party that had to be canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic and will be held by appointment through Tuesday.
WARREN DILLAWAY | Star Beacon
Brittany Chambers, a volunteer at G.O. Development Corp., prepares to help a family to their car car during the organization s Christmas gift and food distribution event on Friday morning in Ashtabula with director Francis Norman keeping an eye on the operation, back left. The distribution replaced an annual Christmas party that had to be cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.