Child molester knifed in jail

Photo: Contributed

David James McHale

A Peachland man who plead guilty to molesting three children was stabbed by another inmate at the Okanagan Correctional Centre in September.

In a lawsuit filed this week in Penticton court, David James McHale, 69, alleges he was assaulted by another inmate on Sept. 9.

“I was sitting in our unit yard with two other inmates. There were two other sectioned groups with the health care unit at the time. I am a PC (protective custody) inmate, with a section 18 designation,” the lawsuit reads. “This means I am to be in a protected situation at all times.”

McHale claims a corrections officer forgot to lock a gate in the yard before he left the area to serve other inmates brunch.

A few minutes later, an inmate burst through the door.

“He looked around and focused on me. He came towards me, and proceeded to stab at me with a sharp shank and punch my head.”

The civil claim says the attack cut McHale’s hands and arm before a corrections officer hauled off the attacker.

He was treated in medical and provided a statement to an RCMP officer the next day, said the lawsuit.

“This aggravated assault has caused me tremendous anxiety and stress. I have nightmares and don’t sleep very well now,” he said. “This is a serious corrections breach. My safety was jeopardized.”

He is seeking a little over $25,000 compensation for the incident.

McHale was arrested in 2015 for several sexual assault related offences against children. At the time, police appealed to the public for further victims to come forward.

In April, he pleaded guilty to one count of sexual interference of someone under 14 and two counts of sexual interference of someone under 16. The victims were not related to him.