Murderer Brent Malcolm Huxley in court for riot at Capricornia Correctional Centre

A labourer who murdered a man with a rock at Townsville and is doing time at a Central Queensland jail has been revealed as one of 100 prisoners who took part in a $1 million riot.

Brent Huxley.

A convicted murderer’s role in a chaotic prison riot at a Central Queensland jail involving 100 prisoners and causing more than $1 million in damage has been revealed.

Brent Malcolm Huxley, 40, was involved in the 18-hour long riot at Capricornia Correctional Centre at Etna Creek on October 21, 2021.

Huxley was serving a life sentence at the time for murdering north Queensland man Michael McCabe in August 2015.

Mr McCabe, 25, was assaulted by a group at a Townsville unit in August 2015 and then driven 80km north to Crystal Creek in the boot of a car.

Murder victim Michael McCabe.

Police found human remains on September 17, 2015 and the following day identified the decaying body as Mr McCabe's.

During a trial at the Supreme Court in Townsville in September 2019, the jury accepted that Mr McCabe had died after Huxley and Jason Douglas Taylor, who was also convicted of the murder, had dropped a large rock onto his head.

Huxley was unsuccessful in his appeal of the murder conviction in Queensland’s Court of Appeal in 2021.

The District Court in Rockhampton heard the riot started in Huxley’s unit at the prison, secure unit four, when elders from Woorabinda were refused entry.

Capricornia Correctional Centre, north of Rockhampton.

Crown prosecutor Clayton Wallis said during the riot, Huxley was seen on the roof of the activities building about 1.15pm and remained there until he surrendered at 10.30pm.

The court heard Huxley had to be helped up onto the roof because he had an injured back.

Huxley wore a medical mask to hide his identity and was seen holding a bottle “containing a volatile substance”.

Mr Wallis said Huxley told police, “all I did was observe”.

Damage caused to the Capricornia Correctional Centre during the October 2021 riots.

Damage caused to the Capricornia Correctional Centre during the October 2021 riots.

Defence barrister Scott Moon said his client was told “persons that didn’t participate in any way shape or form were quite well labelled at the time in the prison”.

“It’s not the right decision but in a riotous situation with the turmoil going on he made that decision,” he said.

Mr Moon said his client had just over 11 years to serve before reaching parole eligibility.

The court heard Huxley, who worked as a labourer after leaving school, abused alcohol and drugs from a young age.

Brent Huxley.

Judge Jeff Clarke said Huxley had been keeping himself occupied in prison by working in the kitchen and helping other inmates read and write personal correspondence.

Huxley pleaded guilty on January 30 to the single riot charge.

Judge Jeff Clarke sentenced Huxley to 12 months prison.

Huxley will be eligible for parole on January 19, 2036.