Prison assault suspects sent straight to trial

Eight reputed members of the Indian Posse street gang will go straight to trial for their alleged involvement in a vicious Manitoba prison assault that left an inmate in critical condition.

Manitoba Justice has obtained direct indictments against the young men, who are each charged with a single count of aggravated assault, court records show.

Colton Richard Patchinose, Quentin Bird, Howard Jones Pagee, Wilfred George Cook, Eugene Lacquette, Michael Lavallee, Jonathan Young and Clarence Scott were rearrested while in custodyon Monday and notified they would not have a preliminary hearing.

The rearrests were necessary from a procedural standpoint. In order to lay the direct indictments onthe same charge, the Crownmust stay the initial proceedings in provincial court.

The men, who are between 18 and 20 years old, made a first appearance in the Court of Queen's Bench in Winnipeg on Tuesday.

The purpose of a preliminary hearing is to determine if the Crown's case is strong enough to take to trial, but prosecutors can seek a direct indictment in some circumstances, including where the safety of witnesses is an issue.

The men were charged after a 33-year-old inmate at the Milner Ridge Correctional Centre was mobbed on Dec. 21, 2009,sending the institution into lockdown for more than a day.

Milner Ridge is a minimum- to medium-security facility with room for 284 male inmates, and is located in the Agassiz Provincial Forest in the Rural Municipality of Lac du Bonnet.

The victim, who has never been identified by police, was rushed to hospital in critical condition with life-threatening injuries. His current condition is unknown.

Police have never commented on a motive for the assault, but said the victim was not affiliated with a gang. A corrections source told CBC News following the incident that the eight men are members of the Indian Posse, a street gang that started in Winnipeg in the early 90s and has since spread into the western provinces.

Suspect held on murder charges

The decision to bring the men straight to trial means the Crown does not have to show its evidence against them prior to trial. Any witnesses will only have to be called once to testify.

Patchinose is currently awaiting trial on three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder. He was identified by police as a suspect in a March 2008 shooting at a house party in Winnipeg's Weston neighbourhood.

A 17-year-old male who was charged with the same offences was convicted on all counts earlier this year and willbe sentenced in September. Three people were killed and three others were seriously wounded.