Thirty-stone prisoner freed early

An obese inmate nicknamed “Big Mike” has been granted early parole because a Canadian prison could not accommodate his 30st 10lb (195kg) frame.

Michel Lapointe, who served 25 months for conspiracy, drug trafficking and gangsterism, was released from prison earlier this week, three months before he became eligible for parole.

The Quebec Parole Board said it based its decision on Lapointe’s health, along with factors like good behaviour and the support of his wife and mother.

They also stressed that Lapointe was not violent and did not pose a risk to society.

The 37-year-old former chef told reporters he was looking forward to getting on with his life.

Lapointe was arrested on drug-related charges in 2006 and pleaded guilty to all charges.

At the time of his arrest, he weighed 26st 11lb (170kg).

Defence lawyer Clemente Monterosso blamed the weight gain on the prison diet.

Overweight criminals have also been an issue in the United States justice system.

In May, Bernard Musumeci, from Long Island, New York, who was accused of selling knock-off guitars, was charged in a pick-up truck in a car park because, at 35st 10lb (227kg), he could not fit into the courthouse.

In 1994, a Washington judge ruled that Mitchell Rupe, who shot and killed two bank cashiers during a robbery, could not be executed because he weighed 28st 8lb (182kg). The judge said at the time that he might have to be decapitated.

In 2006, the inmate of Death Row in Spokane, Washington, died of liver disease.