The Sandbag Times Issue No:17

Inquiry in to
Edmonton based
soldier’s suicide told
“It was obvious he had
a PTSD injury”
Witnesses told how they would have
handled things differently had they
known of his suicide attempt history
The events that led to the suicide of a
Canadian soldier suffering from posttraumatic
stress disorder might have gone
differently had his mental health history been
known, an inquiry heard Tuesday. Sgt.
Matthew James Parkin was one of four
witnesses who testified during the second day
of a public inquiry into the death of Cpl.
Shaun Collins, 27, who was found hanging by
his own shirt from the bars of his cell at
Edmonton Garrison in March 2011. Parkin,
who was one of the officers who arrested
Collins for drunk driving and who testified by
phone from Egypt, said he would have acted
differently had a background search
uncovered Collins’ two previous suicide
attempts and history of depression and
anxiety. “If you had known that there were
previous suicide attempts, would that have
changed the way things were handled?”
inquiry counsel Jennifer Stangel asked
Parkin. “Absolutely,” Parkin responded,
adding he and the other two military police
on duty that night — Cpl. Jason Pettem and
Warrant Officer Dean Boyd — would have
conducted constant supervision if a
database search had unearthed his suicidal
history. The inquiry also heard from two
mental health professionals who had met
with Collins before his death. Dr. Catherine
Phillips, a military psychiatrist who met
Collins five times in the three months
before his death, outlined the medications
he was taking. They included prescription
drugs for depression and anxiety, an
anti-psychotic medication that was being
used for depression and a once-a-day
sleeping pill. She said alcohol would have
reduced the effectiveness of the meds, but
added Collins appeared to have reduced his
alcohol consumption. Phillips said Collins
was making positive strides in his treatment
and, though she said she wouldn’t have
diagnosed him with PTSD herself, she didn’t
disagree with the PTSD diagnosis he was
ultimately given. Dr. Keli Furman, the
psychologist who diagnosed Collins with
PTSD, said he was not showing signs of
suicidal risk. In fact, she said he had been
excited by plans to marry his girlfriend.
When asked why she was the first to
diagnose him with PTSD, Furman alluded
to the stigma attached to the diagnosis at the
time. Read more on this story here
Air Force Veteran is 1 st Graduate
of Veterans Treatment Court
Air Force veteran Garrett Vann turned his life
around with the help of new Cumberland
County court team that includes the judge,
lawyers and many volunteers. He was
homeless, battling substance abuse and facing
several felony charges. But today he's on firm
ground, with a renewed support structure,
steady job and, for the first time in years, goals
for a future. In a first-of-its-kind ceremony for
Cumberland County, the judge, prosecutor
and Vann's lawyer signed paperwork
dismissing his case in return for his work in an
intensive program aimed at helping veterans
retake control of their lives.
Vann is the county's first Veterans Treatment
Court graduate. During and after the
ceremony, officials praised him for his efforts
in regaining control of his life, and praised the
program that put him in a position to succeed.
District Court Judge Lou Olivera, who
presides over the court, said Vann has himself
to thank for deciding to change his life. "The
transformation was amazing," he said. But the
judge also said there was a team behind Vann,
ready to prod him along and give him support
as needed. "It's really a team effort," Judge
Olivera said. "It takes everyone. You have a
lot of people there to pick you up.”
Cumberland County court officials see Vann's
success as a sign of things to come.