Andrew Clive Ellis sentenced for masturbating in front of prison guard

A convicted sex offender has offered a bizarre excuse for why he committed ‘degrading’ acts in front of a female prison guard at a Brisbane facility.

Andrew Clive Ellis targeted a female guard with a ‘degrading’ act while detained indefinitely as a dangerous prisoner.

A convicted sex offender targeted a female guard with a ‘degrading’ act while detained indefinitely as a dangerous prisoner.

Andrew Clive Ellis, 41, faced Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday for masturbating in front of a female guard on five occasions over a two-month period in 2023.

Police prosecutor Alexandra Trott said Ellis’s “degrading behaviour” while detained at Arthur Gorrie had been “premeditated” and “targeted”.

Ellis, who appeared in court over video link, claimed he only did so because the guard had first wrongly-accused him of the same act.

“I’ve spent 23 years in custody – seven-and-a-half years in the MSU (maximum security unit); not once have I exposed myself,” Mr Ellis said.

“The reason why I engaged in this behaviour in front of (the guard) was because I received a letter … stating that I was engaging in this when I wasn’t doing it.

“I said if you want to case note me for doing it, I said then I would do it.”

Ellis explained he couldn’t afford the case note at that time because he had been trying to get out of custody to see his mother, who had leukaemia.

“I should have gotten the footage reviewed … instead I went down the wrong path,” he said.

Ellis was first convicted at Beenleigh District Court in 2006 of a series of offences against girls aged 17 and 13 in Brisbane.

He was briefly released on a supervision order in 2012, but was detained again after he cut off his GPS tracker and attacked an off-duty female police officer.

Police prosecutor Alexandra Trott told the court Ellis had continued to commit offences in custody – including assaults on correctional services officers.

Ellis is currently detained indefinitely under the Dangerous Prisoners (Sexual Offenders) Act.

He pleaded guilty on May 23 to five counts of indecent act with intent to insult or offend.

Magistrate Ross Mack told Ellis he had been in custody a “long time” and would be there “a lot longer.”

“There’s not much I can do today that’s going to make any great difference to your life,” he said.

“ … There’s been a lot of time in jail for no reason other than the community doesn’t want to take the risk with you – that’s a troubled place for you to be.”

He sentenced Ellis to nine months jail, with immediate parole eligibility.