A man with a violent past who had connections to Abbotsford and Penticton has died in prison, according to the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC).
A press release issued Friday (Dec. 13) by CSC states that Sean Duffy, 39, died Dec. 10 while in custody at Matsqui Institution in Abbotsford. The cause of death has not been released.
Duffy had been serving a sentence of more than three years and four months since Nov. 24, 2023 after previously pleading guilty to four charges – assault, driving while prohibited and two charges of possession of a firearm while under a firearms prohibition.
He initially faced 15 different charges following his arrest on Feb. 18, 2022 in Penticton when he was found around a parking lot and going into an apartment building with a pistol and shotgun.
Duffy, who was already wanted on warrants for the assault and other charges, raised enough concerns that RCMP planned to intercept him, waiting until he was being taken out for dinner by his father.
After arresting Duffy, officers discovered he was wearing a full soft-body-armour Kevlar-type vest and had a loaded .22 calibre pistol and ammunition.
The pistol was described by the Crown as a “zip gun,” a complete firearm that uses pieces from multiple other kits and pieces, with the serial number filed off.
RCMP also found a loaded sawed-off shotgun in his truck, and additional ammunition was recovered. A search of his residence uncovered further prohibited items, including knives, “tiger claws” (gloves with sharp spikes attached) and aluminum knuckles.
Duffy's prior criminal history includes being sentenced to a one-year jail term for a charge of aggravated assault related to a stabbing on Sept. 22, 2016 on Elgon Court in Abbotsford.
In that incident, police were called after reports that a man had been stabbed during an argument with his roommate.
Police found Duffy not far from the scene about 15 minutes later. The victim suffered non-life-threatening wounds to his torso and arm.
And in March 2017, Duffy was sentenced to one year in prison and a five-year driving ban in relation to a crash that took place Feb. 1, 2016 in the 30700 block of Cardinal Avenue, near Highstreet Shopping Centre in Abbotsford.
Duffy crashed into a 19-year-old pedestrian, causing her to be pinned beneath his pickup truck. The woman suffered serious injuries but survived.
Duffy later pleaded guilty to impaired driving causing bodily harm and failing to stop at an accident.
– with files from Brennan Phillips
