Darnell Pratt in a new photograph posted on his Facebook profile. The 22-year-old was just released from Kent
De Patie killer violates parole – again
Darnell Pratt killed Maple Ridge gas station attendant Grant De Patie in 2005
Monisha Martins
Nov. 6, 2011 8:00 a.m.
The young man who dragged a Maple Ridge gas station attendant to his death six years ago has violated his parole again, this time just two days after being released from prison.
Darnell Darcy Pratt was released from a federal penitentiary on Thursday, but failed to return to the Victoria halfway house he was staying at Saturday night.
It's the second time in a year Pratt has violated parole conditions.
Pratt was first granted statutory release in June 2010 and violated curfew just two days after he was paroled to a Kamloops halfway house.
Doug De Patie, whose 24-year-old son Grant was killed by Pratt in 2005, did not expect Pratt to last long outside prison.
"He is not ready for the outside world," said De Patie, who was informed that Pratt missed his 8 p.m. curfew Saturday.
"He is making a mockery of the parole system. He is not showing any remorse. He is not showing any respect for the loss of Grant."
A parole board decision released in September revealed that Pratt, now 22, would have a difficult time staying away from a life of crime.
He racked up institutional charges while in prison for a slew of incidents, including using drugs, drinking alcohol, verbally abusing corrections staff, and assaulting another inmate.
"Your institutional behaviour has been very poor," the board said in a decision that imposed several special conditions on Pratt's statutory release.
"You have used drugs, incurred several institutional charges and are described as periodically uncooperative with your case management team."
Pratt has been assessed as a "moderate" risk to re-offend.
He was just 16 in March 2005, when he struck Grant De Patie in a stolen car while fleeing an Esso station on Dewdney Trunk Road in Maple Ridge without paying for gas.
Pratt dragged the 24-year-old under the car for 7.5 kilometres.
While on parole, Pratt is bound by several special conditions that include having to live in a half-way house or community correctional centre; abstaining from intoxicants; not associating with criminals and having no contact with the De Patie family.
He is also supposed to have no overnight leave privileges until he has shown stability in the community.
His sentence officially ends July 12, 2012.
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