Teen in De Patie case charged with assault

The teenager in prison for the dragging death of a gas station attendant has been sentenced to more time in custody for assaulting another inmate.

Darnell Darcy Pratt, 18, entered a guilty plea to assault causing bodily harm in Vancouver Provincial Court on July 2 in exchange for a four-month sentence.

The assault charge was laid a year after a B.C. Court of Appeal tribunal reduced Pratt's sentence in the dragging death of Grant De Patie of Surrey from seven years and three months to five years and 10 months.

The De Patie family, who successfully lobbied the B.C. government for province-wide pre-pay legislation for gas stations, has been informed about Pratt's recent plea and sentence.

Doug De Patie, Grant's father, feels cheated by Pratt who was touted as a "good candidate for rehabilitation" in court.

"How much work have they done on him successfully to this date?" Doug de Patie asked.

"The justice system mandate is to rehabilitate prisoners. Their efforts have basically been thrown back in their face."

Pratt was 16 when he struck the 24-year-old attendant at a Maple Ridge Esso station while trying to commit a gas-and-dash robbery in March 2005.

Pratt fled in the car, dragging De Patie under it for 7.5 kilometres.

Originally charged with second degree murder, Pratt pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced in May 2006 as an adult to nine years minus time served, for a total of seven years and three months.

Pratt began serving his Willingdon youth detention facility, but has since been transferred to an adult medium-security prison in Mission.

The Correctional Service of Canada, a federal government agency responsible for administering sentences longer than two years, cannot discuss the new charge due to privacy. Its mandate is to rehabilitate offenders.

Spokesperson Dave Lefebvre said each offender has an individual correctional plan developed for them that seeks to address all of the factors that lead to their criminal behaviour.

"It is a very detailed plan that takes a lengthy amount of time to develop."

The plan can include substance abuse treatment programs, life skills, violence prevention, education and employment courses.

It is then used to measure the offender's progress.

Pratt is eligible for full parole in November this year and the De Patie family hopes the assault charge has bearing on the parole board's decision for his release.

"I find that four months is a pretty lax sentence. He gets a lot more time off for being native and young," said De Patie, citing the appeal court judge's decision to recognize Pratt's native heritage, youth and troubled background as a mistake.

The family, including Grant's mother Corinne and grandfather Chett Crellin, have met with the teen while he was in youth custody.

De Patie said they will not be meeting with him again.

"He is in denial about what happened that night. Until you admit your part [in the crime], how can you move forward?" Doug DePatie said.

- By Monisha Martins

mmartins@mapleridgenews.com