Outrage at 'monster' baby killer Raymond Akhtar Ali's $3000 compensation after prison serves him vegetables

LATEST: THE Newman Government will appeal a decision to award a baby killer $3000 in compensation for being fed vegetables in prison.

woman found baby

THE Newman Government will appeal a decision to award a baby killer $3000 in compensation for not being given special food in prison, Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie says.

Former butcher Raymond Akhtar Ali, who is serving a life sentence for bashing his newborn daughter to death in 1998 and dismembering her body, took legal action after he was fed vegetarian meals in jail for four months instead of halal meat.

The Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal ordered the Government pay $3000 in compensation.

Mr Bleijie, who described Ali as 'a monster', said the Government had received preliminary legal advice that it had 'good prospects' of success in an appeal against the QCAT decision.

"The state will be appealing this matter to the Court of Appeal," he said.

"We will be doing everything we can to ensure this matter is sorted out."

Mr Bleijie said he, Premier Campbell Newman and other Queenslanders were 'shocked and appalled' at the compensation payout.

"It's not common sense to award that particular monster $3000 in compensation," he said.

"Prisoners have their rights - particularly at all times we have to uphold the right of religion, the freedom of religion - but I think it has gone too far.

"There's a lot of people right around Queensland who would give anything for a proper, decent meal that the prisoners have access to in our prison system."

EARLIER, Premier Campbell Newman said prisoners must be treated "humanely and appropriately" and he won't move to stop them suing prisons.

He was responding to today's story in The Courier-Mail about a Queensland baby killer who killed his newborn daughter receiving $3000 compensation because he was forced to eat vegetables in jail.

Speaking on ABC radio, Mr Newman said prisoners had to be treated "humanely and appropriately".

"If someone has deeply held religious beliefs, then it's not appropriate that we feed them on a long-term basis, while they're incarcerated, with the wrong food," said the Premier.

"I do think that's unfair and inappropriate."

He said the Government had already taken steps to ensure prisons were not "holiday camps".

Former butcher Raymond Akhtar Ali was fed a vegetarian diet for four months, instead of specially prepared halal meat in accordance with his religious requirements.

The Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal found Ali, 60, was discriminated against on the basis of his religion and ordered the State Government pay $3000 compensation into a trust fund.

Ali is serving a life sentence after he savagely bashed his newborn daughter to death in 1998 before dismembering her, cutting her in half and burying her body at his Logan Village home.

A furious Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie, yesterday described Ali as a "monster" and said he'd ordered urgent advice to appeal the decision.

Ali was fed a vegetarian diet for four months while in Maryborough Correctional Centre, instead of halal food, which needs to be blessed, slaughtered, cooked and stored to strict rules.

QCAT member Ann Fitzpatrick found in his favour because he had to eat vegetables and not halal meat.

She ordered the State Government to pay Ali's $3000 compensation into a victim trust fund.

In 2000 Ali was found guilty of the gruesome 1998 murder of his newborn daughter while the baby's mother, Amanda Leanne Blackwell, 22, was found guilty of manslaughter.

Blackwell, who worked in Ali's halal butcher shop, became his virtual "sex slave'' and fell pregnant to the married man, the Supreme Court heard.

Minutes after she secretly gave birth at a Logan Village property, Ali killed the baby.

A post-mortem found the newborn suffered severe fractures, likely from being crashed against a hard surface while still alive.

Her right leg was severed, she had been cut in half at the abdomen, and her reproductive organs had been removed.

Mr Bleijie yesterday said the State Government would assess its options on the QCAT ruling.

"The community would understandably be angry about this decision and I've requested urgent advice with respect to the State lodging an appeal,'' he said.

Ms Fitzpatrick said Ali was forced to eat vegetarian food at the prison from September 24, 2008 to January 22, 2009, after being incorrectly told halal food was not available.

"It forced a person who otherwise ate meat as part of his diet to eat a vegetarian diet,'' Ms Fitzpatrick said.

Blackwell's four-year jail sentence was suspended after nine months. Ali's appeal attempts failed.

Ali's other discrimination complaints about his 2008 transfer to the Maryborough prison affecting visits from his wife, son and an Imam and his ability to attend Friday prayers were dismissed.

Ms Fitzpatrick, who heard Ali phoned his wife twice daily, found his wife and son chose not to visit him there and he did not ask for an Imam to visit.

Ali, who can apply for parole from August next year, can access the money if there are no claims from victims, child support agencies or for any fines he may owe, but not while he is in jail.