Robert Reddoch News Today

The jury at the coroner's inquest into the death of Shannon Sargent has begun deliberations following 13 days of testimony from witnesses and experts. They've been asked to determine whether the Indigenous woman's death in her Ottawa jail cell was a homicide.

An expert says social determinants of health put an Indigenous woman, Shannon Sargent, at greater risk than other inmates

A veteran corrections officer said it was a foregone conclusion that Shannon Sargent was being escorted to hospital to be triaged.

The forensic pathologist who examined Shannon Sargent's body hours after she died in her cell at the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre (OCDC) in 2016 told a coroner's inquest that Sargent's heart had been damaged by chronic drug use. 

The correctional officer in charge of escorting Shannon Sargent back to hospital the evening before she died in her cell at the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre never handed over a letter detailing concerns about Sargent's health, according to a retired nurse who dealt with him that day.

The cause of death in 2016 was described as "cardiac complications of chronic intravenous drug use in a woman with recent cocaine use."

Testimony continued Friday at the inquest into the death of the woman who died at the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre on July 20, 2016.

Testimony continued Friday at the inquest into the death of the woman who died at the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre on July 20, 2016.

Diane Longmuir told a coroners inquest on Wednesday she was sure Sargent would have been admitted to hospital, not returned to jail.

Inquest begins into the death at OCDC of Indigenous woman who had recent open heart surgery