PENTICTON, B.C. — An inmate at a jail in British Columbia has been handed a two-year sentence for what a judge described as an unprovoked attack on a guard.
Jeffrey Polanski pleaded guilty to one count of assault causing bodily harm for punching a male guard at the Okanagan Correctional Centre in February.
A provincial court in Penticton heard that Curtis Stafford was standing at a work station with his back to some inmates when Polanski approached him from behind.
Judge Meg Shaw says Polanski approached and struck Stafford without warning, then continued to hit him while he lie on the ground in a vulnerable position.
Stafford suffered a cut near his eye that required 10 stitches, plus swelling and bruising on his head and face, and was later diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Shaw sentenced Polanski to two years in prison, which he will serve after he completes his current 18-month jail term for breaking and entering.
