Three men face sentencing hearing over prison riot

Three men have faced court for their role in a chaotic prison riot involving 100 prisoners, some high on petrol and throwing molotov cocktails, that caused over $1 million damage.

Three men have faced court over their role in a chaotic prison riot involving 100 prisoners, some high on petrol and throwing molotov cocktails, that caused more than $1 million damage over 18 hours.

Clinton Curtis Jones, 33, Robert John Steedman, 36, and Joel Mark Wayne, 28, all pleaded guilty on Tuesday to rioting at Capricornia Correctional Centre north of Rockhampton in October 2021.

Brisbane District Court heard all three men participated in varying degrees with the riot which saw prisoners bust inmates out of cells, trash security fences, drink petrol, arm themselves with pickaxes, light fires and launch molotov cocktails.

Extensive damage as a result of the 18-hour riots at Capricornia Correctional Centre.

Crown prosecutor Courtney Payard said the estimated damage bill was about $1.2 million and 64 prisoners had been identified and charged.

Ms Payard said Wayne, who was on remand at the time, was housed in a secure unit that began rioting about 9am. He was seen arming himself with a shovel and pickaxe and was part of a group that damaged a door allowing prisoners to access food and drink which they took on the roof to consume.

Wayne threw a telephone off the roof, spoke into a stolen Corrective Services radio and wore a guard’s stolen vest. He surrendered sometime before 10pm.

Jones, who was serving a sentence for supplying drugs at the time, was broken out of his secure unit by another prisoner sometime during the day.

He damaged another cell so prisoners could escape and “celebrated with them in their victory and went on to continue to participate in the right”. He damaged a CCTV camera on the roof and surrendered about 9pm.

Ms Payard said Steedman, who was on remand for grievous bodily harm, was the least involved of the three.

Police vehicles at the perimeter of the Capricornia Correctional Centre late on Thursday night during the riots and protests.

He initially cleaned up the mess caused by the rioters but then joined in and smashed a window before becoming one of the first prisoners to surrender about 7pm.

Jones’ barrister Edward Whitton said his client felt it necessary to be involved in the riot once he was extracted from his cell.

“There was in effect a real pressure brought to bear to be a part of it otherwise you’re against those who were engaged in the behaviour,” he said.

“He’s not armed, he’s not threatening QCS officers, he’s not lighting fires, he’s not drinking petrol, he’s sitting on the roof.”

Wayne’s barrister Geoff Seaholme made similar submissions saying his client felt it best to go along with the riot given the safety fears for prisoners who didn’t.

“He didn’t take the same action as many others,” he said.

Steedman’s barrister David Guttridge stressed the “exceptionally passive nature in which (his) client participated”.

“He was also one of the first to surrender at 7pm despite the situation continuing on to 2.30am the following morning,” he said.

Judge Carl Heaton will sentence the men on Wednesday.