Psychiatrist says Douglas Jackway, named as suspect in Daniel Morcombe case, high-risk if released

A SADISTIC rapist described as one of the worst inmates in Queensland has lost his bid for freedom.

Suspect in Daniel case bashed in jail

A SADISTIC rapist described as one of the worst inmates in Queensland has lost his bid for freedom.

Douglas Jackway, 38, is serving an indefinite sentence at Wacol prison south of Brisbane after he was convicted of abducting and raping a nine year old boy and of raping a young girl.

He is best known for being named as a person of interest in the Daniel Morcombe murder.

Giving evidence today, Jackway told the Supreme Court he could control his temper and stay off drugs and alcohol and he was ready to live in the community.

Two psychiatrists told the court they had serious concerns that he could again rape a young child if he went off the rails.

The psychiatrists say he is a psychopath with a short fuse.

He raped a young boy when he was 19 while he was angry, drunk and high on methamphetamine after arguing with his family.

The court was told he approached three young boys who were riding their bikes on a Gladstone street and asked them for directions. As they answered he snatched one of them and bundled him into his car.

He drove the boy to nearby mangroves where he attempted to rape him. The assault was stopped when police arrived.

He was jailed until 2003 but when he was released he was charged with raping a young girl years earlier when he was only 14.

This afternoon Justice Debra Mullins today found the community couldn’t be protected if Jackway was released, noting that even if he had an electronic monitor on his ankle it might not stop him from abusing a child because it can take hours to recapture sex offenders who cut their monitors off.

Jackway finished serving his sentences for the two rapes in February 2012 but has been kept behind bars by legislation aimed at protecting the community from sex offenders.

He has been in prison for his entire adult life - except for his three months of freedom in 2003.

Justice Mullins reassured Jackway that “it’s not a case of no hope ever (of being released)” and said he needed to complete another course and more psychiatric sessions to learn to control his anger.

The court was told that Jackway had a long record of bad behaviour while in jail, especially for a prisoner who is pinning his hopes on getting out.

In the two months to November last year he committed 10 “breaches or incidents”. Two of the incidents were where he assaulted other prisoners.

One incident occurred after another inmate became angry when Jackway made a mistake with an in-prison dining “menu” while he worked in the kitchen.

He has threatened to kill prison guards and to bash and strangle inmates, and to smash his cell window.

“I’ll knock a screw (prison guard) to get out of here ‘cause then I’ll go straight to the MSU (maximum security unit)”, he told prison guards on November 18.

Jackway also tried to make excuses for his unruly behaviour and for why he was kept in a special unit for disobedient prisoners, saying his temper will improve when out of jail.

Jackway said life in jail was tough.

“I’ve had my jaw broken, I had my nose broken, I’ve been bashed to do with all the media (coverage of the accusations he killed Daniel Morecombe),” Jackway said.