Only 1 piece of evidence linked Colton Clarkin with suicide before his 2023 death, inquest hears

Nicola MacLeod · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 04, 2025 7:38 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 minutes ago

Warning: This communicative deals with suicide. If you oregon idiosyncratic you cognize has been struggling with intelligence health, you tin find resources for assistance astatine the bottommost of this story.

Testimony wrapped up Friday astatine the coroner's inquest into the decease of Colton Clarkin in July 2023, but the process volition present agelong into an unplanned 4th time connected Monday.

Clarkin died by termination aft fleeing the Hillsborough Hospital grounds portion walking determination with his father. He was successful the Charlottetown installation arsenic an involuntary diligent nether an bid from the province's Criminal Code Review Board, contempt the psychiatric infirmary squad believing helium was not a bully acceptable for their facility.

On Friday the inquest jurors heard the lone portion of grounds that linked the 27-year-old Emyvale antheral with termination earlier his death: a checkbox connected an admittance form.

A period earlier his decease successful July, Clarkin checked "yes" erstwhile answering the question: "Have you attempted to termination yourself successful the past?" That was during the intake process for the Transition Unit astatine the Provincial Addictions Treatment Facility successful Mount Herbert, northbound of Stratford.

The inquest heard that helium had checked "no" erstwhile filling retired the aforesaid signifier earlier that year, but the manager of transitional programs moving retired of Mount Herbert testified Friday that the alteration successful effect was not flagged.

There was nary bundle to bash truthful automatically, and the precedence was to surface radical for existent thoughts of suicide. There was a container connected the signifier for that too, and Clarkin responded "no" to it each clip helium did the paperwork.

The manager told the jurors that addiction attraction staff like himself were capable to work Hillsborough Hospital files and could spot the lawsuit notes for Clarkin.

But that entree did not spell some ways, so staff astatine Hillsborough Hospital would not person seen that checked container astir a erstwhile termination attempt, unless it was brought to their attention.

'Very positive' clip with Clarkin, counsellor says

On Thursday, the psychiatrist who treated Clarkin passim his 10-month enactment astatine Hillsborough told the inquest helium was 'flabberghasted' to perceive his diligent had died by suicide.

Clarkin had ne'er expressed thoughts of termination to that squad — a sentiment echoed by Clarkin's addictions counsellor connected Friday.

"He was funny, helium was smart, helium was ever helpful," Kristine Sutherland said during her testimony, speaking straight to Clarkin's family, seated successful the beforehand enactment of the Charlottetown courthouse. "My clip with Colton was precise positive."

Sutherland was the past addictions counsellor to enactment with Clarkin, seeing him one-on-one from April 2023 until his decease that July. She told the inquest that they connected, which she thought would help engage him successful his betterment process.

She described Clarkin arsenic idiosyncratic who was starting to spot however his cause usage had negatively impacted his life, and was coming to understand that sobriety and attraction were his mode retired of the hospital, not the disruptive behaviour and escapes that had marked his enactment to that point.

Sutherland saw him for the past clip astatine the Hillsborough Hospital 9 days earlier helium fled the installation for the last time. They discussed wherefore things had not worked out during his astir caller effort to instrumentality the 21-day Mount Herbert program.

Clarkin had been admitted and discharged from the programme 3 times by that point: erstwhile once helium was nary longer allowed to permission the infirmary to attend, erstwhile once helium would not motion the required paperwork, and the period before, erstwhile helium was discharged for his inappropriate behaviour.

Sutherland said they discussed strategies truthful that would not hap again: perceive more, speech little and effort to support to himself.

"He was truly motivated this day," she said, recalling however she was astir to permission connected abrogation and helium reassured her: "I've got this."

Clarkin did instrumentality to that programme the adjacent week and was again discharged aft his behaviour made a pistillate co-patient uncomfortable. He ran distant from the hospital's grounds that day, and his assemblage was recovered a abbreviated portion aboriginal adjacent the Confederation Trail successful Winsloe.

'I request to beryllium the best'

A scientist moving retired of Hillsborough Hospital told the inquest that idiosyncratic with Clarkin's analyzable property upset — which helium described arsenic narcissistic with anti-social traits — would apt conflict successful a therapy environment.

Dr. Jancke Pienaar assessed Clarkin. He told the inquest Friday that the young man tended to "charm and exploit others" and would apt conflict with making himself susceptible earlier a counsellor. 

He said a radical therapy situation mightiness besides marque Clarkin enactment out, feeling similar helium had to propulsion the room's attraction toward himself.

"There's a consciousness of 'I request to beryllium the best' — which tin beryllium channelled well, but besides tin beryllium channelled to bash things similar interruption retired of the hospital," Pienaar said.

Closing statements

After grounds wrapped precocious Friday afternoon, lawyers for the Crown's office, the Clarkin household and Health P.E.I. gave their closing statements.

"It is not your work to marque immoderate findings of responsibility oregon ineligible responsibility... It is, however, your work to see the grounds implicit the past fewer days," Crown authoritative Chee Ng told the six-person jury.

"What you tin do… is marque recommendations that you judge volition beryllium of assistance successful preventing akin deaths."

The lawyer for the household utilized his clip to item a gap: the Criminal Code Review Board's quality to perpetrate Clarkin to an instauration that could not dainty him, portion the addiction installation that offered the attraction helium needed was capable to garbage and discharge him.

"That creates an inherent problem," Joseph Ur told the jurors. "Colton wasn't needfully acceptable up for success."

Health P.E.I.'s lawyer utilized her clip to recap grounds that pointed to the wellness authority's committedness to improving attraction for Island intelligence wellness and addiction patients.

Clarkin's 2 sisters besides spoke. Jayce Clarkin started by describing the time her member was committed, aft having been recovered not criminally liable connected 4 weapons offences successful September 2022.

"I thought to myself, 'Colton is yet going to get the assistance helium truthful desperately needs and deserves'…  He would person the attraction and attraction helium needed to find his mode backmost to himself," she told the jury.

"Instead of being treated arsenic a idiosyncratic deserving of dignity and compassion, Colton was excessively often seen lone done the lens of his struggles. He was isolated, susceptible and yet near without the enactment helium desperately needed."

"I person been asked aggregate times implicit the past 615 days if I had siblings … How bash you accidental you 'had' a brother?" Alana Campbell said.

"Small things similar that… They excavation up specified earthy emotions immoderate clip idiosyncratic asks. It is my astir dreaded question now."

The assemblage volition statesman compiling its recommendations connected Monday morning.

If you oregon idiosyncratic you cognize is struggling, here's wherever to get help:

• Canada's Suicide Crisis Helpline: Call oregon substance 988.
• Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868. Text 686868. Live chat counselling on the website.
• Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention: Find a 24-hour situation centre.
• This usher from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health outlines however to speech astir termination with idiosyncratic you're disquieted about.