'Brutally horrifying': Mother describes pain of hearing details of Breanna Kannick's death

Hearing about the last moments of her daughter's life has been agonizing for Sherri Kannick.

Day four of the inquest into 21-year-old Breanna Kannick's death wrapped up on Thursday. Kannick died while in custody at the White Birch Remand Centre in August 2015.

After Wednesday's testimony, Sherri said she couldn't return Thursday.

"The details of the last hour of my daughter's life was brutally horrifying," said Kannick.

Kannick said it was unbearable to have to picture her daughter helpless as she suffered. It's believed Kannick was going through opioid withdrawal in the time leading up to her death.

"It's been a nightmare. It's been emotionally, physically draining on myself, my whole family," said Sherri.

Waking Breanna

On Thursday, the jury heard from two corrections workers who were on duty Aug. 20, 2015 — the day Breanna died.

Carla Malone started her shift at 7 a.m. CST that day. She woke Breanna in her cell around 7:30 a.m., telling her to get ready for court. Breanna was set to appear in court in Moose Jaw that day for a bail hearing.

Corrections worker Kylie Irvine was also on duty that morning. She also went to Breanna's cell to tell her to get up and ready for court around the same time.

"All she said to me that morning was, 'I don't want to go to court,'" testified Irvine.

When Irvine first entered Breanna's cell, she testified she noticed a smear of feces on the floor. She said she told Breanna, "I'm not cleaning that up," and brought Breanna a paper towel to clean it up herself.

During this time, Malone was watching Breanna in the staff pod over the security monitors. It appeared Breanna still hadn't gotten up, so she spoke to Breanna over the intercom, telling her she had to get ready. She watched as Breanna pulled on her sweat pants, while still lying down.

A few minutes later, Malone looked at the monitors again and saw Breanna had gotten up to use the bathroom. That's when a couple of phonecalls came in to the staff pod. The next time Malone looked at the monitors minutes later, Breanna was on the floor.

Malone buzzed in to Breanna's intercom again, telling her she had to get ready.

"I can't," Breanna responded. She then rolled onto all fours, and walked back to her bed and lay down.

I would've immediately yelled for someone to go to her . . . I would've never told her to move.- Corrections worker Carla Malone

"That was the last time I spoke to her," testified Malone.

After Breanna's death, Malone learned through surveillance footage that Breanna was on the floor because she had accidentally stepped in her bucket, tripped and hit her head on a table.

"I would've immediately yelled for someone to go to her … I would've never told her to move," said Malone, crying.

Breanna's last moments

Around 7:45 a.m., Irvine went to get Breanna when the transport arrived to take her to court in Moose Jaw. She threw Breanna's shoes toward her to put on, and Breanna said, "I can't."

That's when Irvine first saw black liquid coming out of Breanna's nose and mouth. Irvine admitted she didn't take the issue seriously at that point, and thought it could be a ploy to get out of going to court.

Irvine went to the staff pod, and alerted the nurse on duty that Breanna was "vomiting black stuff out of her nose and mouth."

According to Malone, another corrections worker came to notify the nurse of the same thing moments later.

Both Irvine and the other corrections worker went back to the cell, and Irvine said at that point, the black vomit was "coming out like a faucet."

Malone testified that the nurse immediately followed the corrections workers into Breanna's cell, while Irvine said it could have been minutes between the first time she told the nurse of the vomit and when she came to the cell.

Irvine and the nurse worked to resuscitate Breanna, and the second corrections worker told Malone to call an ambulance.

Irvine testified the workers made the best efforts to resuscitate Breanna.

After the ambulance arrived, Breanna was pronounced dead at 8:30 a.m.

Irvine testified that Breanna's last moments will live with her for the rest of her life.

A painful wait

The inquest is taking place nearly three years after Breanna died. For her mother, the waiting has been "extreme aggravation and pain."

"You're just waiting. You don't know if there's going to be any justice for your little girl."

I have to know exactly what she went through and what the outcome can be, and hopefully will be.- Mother, Sherri Kannick

As difficult as it was to sit through testimony, she said she is committed to returning when the inquest resumes.

"I have to, for Breanna," she said. 

"I have to know exactly what she went through and what the outcome can be, and hopefully will be. Hopefully some changes will be made because of her death."

The inquest is adjourned for now until May 14.