A prisoner has been fined for assaulting a prison officer during a lockdown, throwing a metal tap through a glass window the man was standing behind and showering him in glass.
Royden James Cameron was an inmate at Albany Regional Prison when on February 2, it was announced the facility would enter a “redactive regime” lockdown that forced prisoners back to their cells for long periods.
Upon hearing about the lockdown about 9am, the 27-year-old walked to the communal sink and unscrewed the metal tap.
He then threw it through the glass window of a nearby control room, causing the window to smash.
A prison officer who was standing behind the window was struck by several of the glass fragments.
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The officer sustained several minor cuts and the incident was captured on prison CCTV.
Cameron was charged by police on February 19 with assaulting a public officer.
Appearing in Albany Magistrates Court via video link from Casuarina Prison, where he is now imprisoned, Cameron pleaded guilty to the single offence on Thursday.
Defence lawyer Eva Svanberg said Cameron had already been in Albany prison for about three years and was becoming frustrated with the frequent lockdowns, which were often caused by understaffing.
She said Cameron, originally from New South Wales, had experienced a violent childhood and hadn’t been able to access many rehabilitative programs due to the frequency of the lockdowns.
Prosecuting Sgt Meagan Diver said while she understood the frustrations of the lockdown, the event marked a serious offence against a prison officer who has the right to feel safe at work.
Magistrate Rosemarie Myers fined Cameron $1250 and ordered him to pay $308 in court costs.
