Leonard killed with metal bar left in gym bag: inquest

CORRECTIONAL officers "overlooked” removing a bag of gym equipment from an exercise yard where prisoners were held during a search of their cells.

GRIEVING MOTHER: Helen Gordon with a portrait of her son Leonard Gordon who was murdered at the Maryborough Correctional Centre in 2012. Photo: Mike Knott / NewsMail. Picture: Mike Knott BUN071013ANN3

CORRECTIONAL officers "overlooked" removing a bag of gym equipment from an exercise yard where prisoners were held during a search of their cells an inquest has heard.

Bundaberg man Leonard Raymond Gordon, 22, was murdered by fellow inmate Gregory George Glebow, 39, with a metal bar from a piece of gym equipment on October 9, 2012, in an unprovoked attack.

How Glebow - a violent offender already serving a murder sentence - and Mr Gordon, who was just two days away from being released after serving time for wilful damage, were placed in the same protective unit is also being examined as part of the inquest.

Why dog squad supervisor Peter Baumanis's concern about a bag containing pieces of gym equipment in the exercise yard did not result in the bag being removed before Mr Gordon, Glebow and the other prisoners entered the yard and why Mr Baumanis's incident report was not initially included in the material provided to the investigating police will also be examined.

Mr Gordon''s family sat in the back of the courtroom yesterday as Coroner Terry Ryan heard evidence from a number Maryborough Correction Centre employees.

The court heard on the day Mr Gordon was killed, correctional officers conducted a large-scale methodical search of the secure units, with prisoners searched before being transferred to the unit's exercise yard.

Correctional officer and search coordinator Stephen Lamprey said all the secure unit yards had similar equipment boxes and had done for a long time, but Mr Baumanis wanted to see them removed.

"He meant those boxes shouldn't be there and the first units we did remove them," he said.

"The first two times we were fresh and we were becoming fatigued. I can't offer any other explanation, we all overlooked it. At that point in the afternoon it did not occur to any of us."

Mr Lamprey also spoke about the type of prisoner Glebow was. The court heard Glebow had been involved in physical altercations in prison.

"He was very involved in prison politics. It was his lifestyle and he worked it very well," he said.

Mr Gordon had applied for parole and could have been released from jail on parole months before his death but had not provided a suitable address.

The inquest continues today.