Javen O’Neill: Chris Bradley killer charged after prison brawl

A trainer who killed a Byron DJ in a brawl, a robber facing deportation and a bikie associate who savagely tortured a woman over a drug debt have faced court after a brawl at the notorious Parklea Jail.

A personal trainer who killed a DJ in a brawl, a serial house robber facing deportation to Mexico and a bikie associate who savagely tortured a woman over a drug debt have been hit with additional jail time after a brawl at the notorious Parklea jail.

Inmates wielded shivs, broken mop handles and buckets as a brawl broke out involving a dozen inmates at Parklea Jail in November 2020, leaving one stabbed, another unconscious and others affected by pepper spray and tear gas.

Javen O’Neill, Pavel Perez and Fale Faasavalu all faced Penrith District Court over their respective roles in the brawl – for which they are all now resigned to further time behind bars.

Personal trainer O’Neill, 28, was serving at least five years and nine months for manslaughter after he killed Byron Bay DJ Chris Bradley with a flurry of punches on Christmas Day 2017.

Javen O’Neill.

Perez, 34, was only weeks away from applying for parole after he was sentenced to five years and three months for “a series of reasonably sophisticated break and enters” in 2015.

Rebels bikie associate Faasavalu, 33, was serving up to seven years and eight months for leading a revolting attack on a single mother over a drug debt, in which she was detained for 14 hours and subjected to numerous violent attacks including burns and other humiliating acts.

The trio were among 10 men charged with various offences over the brawl which sparked after one inmate began a one-on-one altercation in a cell on November 22, 2020.

O’Neill pleaded guilty to affray after he took one inmate in a headlock and hit and kicked him, while Perez pleaded guilty to affray for hitting and kicking another inmate involved in the brawl as he lay on the ground.

Faasavalu pleaded guilty to affray and using a weapon with intent to intimidate after the court heard he wielded a broken mop handle, ripped off his shirt and squared up to another inmate.

Parklea Correctional Centre. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gaye Gerard

As Corrective Services officers and the Incident Response Team attempted to control the situation, an officer was hit in the arm with a bucket, and inmates raced to assist a wheelchair-bound inmate caught in the melee and affected by pepper spray and tear gas.

Judge Karen Robinson sentenced Faasavalu to 22 months’ imprisonment with 15 months non-parole to commence on December 20 this year.

The sentence means he will be eligible for parole on March 19 2024 – adding four months past the parole date he was already subjected to which concludes on December 19 2023.

“In his early 20s, he started associating with the Rebels, and he has expressed some paranoia since being stabbed during a previous term in custody,” Judge Robinson said in sentencing Faasavalu.

“Based on psychological reports I can find no evidence of remorse (for the offending).”

Judge Robinson sentenced Perez to 13 months’ imprisonment backdated to May 25 last year, with an eight-month non-parole period – meaning he is now eligible for parole on this charge and eligible to apply on his pre-existing sentence.

“The Department of Border Protection has stated he is an unlawful non-citizen and he will be placed into immigration detention following his release from custody pending deportation to Mexico,” Judge Robinson said of Perez.

“He witnessed his father’s death by multiple gun shots when he was 11, and developed a substance abuse disorder when he was 13 as a coping mechanism.”

DJ Chris Bradley, who was killed by O’Neill in 2017.

O’Neill was sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment with six months non-parole to commence on April 28 next year – meaning he will not be eligible for parole for an additional month past his existing parole date for the manslaughter conviction.

“He has shown genuine remorse (for Mr Bradley’s death) and has worked in custody in ground maintenance and previously as a wing sweeper,” Judge Robinson said.

“He remains motivated to return to work on his release and intends to live with his father in Byron Bay and is committed to future abstinence from drugs and alcohol.”