"My medication is all wrong, my whole body is in shock," [Chris Mason] said by phone from the remand centre. "I can't do another night in here."

Mason said he hasn't lived in Britain since the age of eight. He came to Canada in 2001, and became a long-haul truck driver. He applied for permanent resident status, but his application wasn't completed properly. Over time, driving a truck, he damaged discs in his spine and became a paraplegic. He returned to work, then was injured in 2003 when he was hit in his wheelchair at a crosswalk by a taxicab wheelchair van. He's been battling Manitoba Public Insurance and collecting social assistance since then. He applied again for permanent resident status after he became disabled, but has been denied.