Police allege woman died of injuries inflicted prior to Brandon house explosion

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This article was published 28/10/2019 (2199 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A woman found dead at the scene of a house explosion last week allegedly died of injuries inflicted on her prior to the blast, according to Brandon Police Service, and the explosion was determined to be intentionally set.

Police revealed few details during a press conference Monday morning surrounding an ongoing investigation into the Oct. 22 explosion at a residence in the 200 block of Queens Avenue East.

Officers were called to the scene that night along with members of Brandon Fire and Emergency Services and — upon detecting a strong odour of natural gas — immediately set up a perimeter and evacuated neighbours as a precaution, BPS spokesperson Sgt. Kirby Sararas said.

Manitoba Hydro employees attended and had the gas turned off within an hour, and a 63-year-old resident, Robert Hughes, exited the residence on his own.

He was later airlifted by STARS air ambulance to Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg with unspecified but serious injuries.

Due to the instability of the structure following the explosion, Sararas said police and emergency workers were unable to enter the scene for several hours until members of Urban Search and Rescue were able to reinforce it.

Once the building was deemed safe, officers entered and attended to 63-year-old Betty Hughes, who was found deceased.

Following the explosion, members of BPS Major Crimes Unit and the Office of the Fire Commissioner have continued to investigate and determined that the death of Mrs. Hughes was not accidental, Sararas said.

It is believed the injuries inflicted on her were done prior to the explosion, and the explosion was also determined to be intentionally set.

Officers attended to the Winnipeg Health Sciences Centre where Mr. Hughes was being released from medical care and arrested him for second degree murder.

Hughes was remanded into custody and remains lodged at Brandon Correctional Centre.

His next court appearance was scheduled in November.

As the matter is now before the court, Sararas said specific details surrounding the death of Mrs. Hughes and the explosion will not be disclosed.

“We do not wish to compromise the integrity of the judicial process,” Sararas said.

Police will also not be releasing specifics regarding Mr. Hughes injuries, Sararas said, which will remain confidential in accordance with the Personal Health Informational Act.

“Brandon Police Service would like to offer our condolences to the family of Mrs. Hughes. They will not be offering any public statement regarding this tragedy, and I would ask members of the public and media to respect their privacy during this difficult time,” Sararas said.

Last Wednesday, neighbours told The Brandon Sun the couple had moved into the house within the last couple of months.

Hughes could be seen doing work on the outside of the house, neighbours said, and a For Sale sign had been placed on the lawn of the property either Monday or Tuesday.

The Hughes’ were married in Dauphin Nov. 8, 1975, according to a wedding announcement printed in The Brandon Sun in January 1976.

It was announced at the time that the new couple would be residing in Brandon after returning from their honeymoon in Banff, Alta.

 

More to come.