Convicted fraudster’s jail sentence reduced because his time in Goulburn Supermax was ‘onerous’

A CONVICTED fraudster arrested in counter-terrorism raids has been handed a reduced jail sentence after a judge said his time in Goulburn Supermax was “onerous” and “distressing”

• Special feature: Inside Goulburn Correctional Centre

A CONVICTED fraudster arrested in counter-terrorism raids has been handed a reduced jail sentence because a judge said the five “onerous” months he spent remanded in Goulburn Supermax were so “distressing”.

Hussain Dandachi, 26, was sentenced in District Court to a minimum 10 months’ jail after pleading guilty to a massive $107,757 family day care fraud.

He was arrested in August last year at Old Guildford after raids by the Australian Federal Police’s counter-terrorism National Disruption Group on several Western Sydney family day care centres.

Hussain Dandachi spent five months behind bars at Goulburn Supermax following his arrest by counte-terrorism police last August. Picture: ABC

They were part of a wider investigation into a $27 million fraud and funding for Islamic State.

Dandachi had put in false invoices for children who were not in his care between August 2015 and August 2016, the court heard.

Judge Deborah Payne was not told Dandachi was questioned at Sydney Airport in October 2015 and stopped from boarding an international flight.

Authorities suspected he was heading to the Middle East to join Islamic State and his passport was confiscated.

‘High-risk’ prisoners are held at Goulburn Supermax where they only mix with one other prisoner and are denied contact visits. Picture: SAM RUTTYN.

Judge Payne took into account Dandachi’s time spend at the Supermax when reducing his sentence. Picture: SAM RUTTYN.

During sentencing the judge gave Dandachi a 25 per cent discount for pleading guilty and said she had also taken into account the onerous conditions under which he was held.

NSW Corrective Services now has a special classification for prisoners deemed a “national security risk” and they are held at Goulburn Supermax.

Judge Payne said it was “more distressing” to be held in Supermax, where inmates did “not even” have contact visits, had to talk to visitors via a phone and could only mix with one other prisoner.

A cell inside Goulburn Supermax where Dandachi was held. Picture: SAM RUTTYN.

Because he has already spent over eight months on remand, Judge Payne ordered that Dandachi be released in June on a recognisance of $500 to be of good behaviour for eight months.

She also ordered he repay the $107,757.

“In my view he has reasonable prospects of rehabilitation,” she said.

A department source rejected suggestions prisoners were subjected to materially worse conditions in Supermax, saying the facilities were “clean” and that inmates had the same food and access to buy-ups.

“Our current strategy of containment and separation of those individuals presenting a very high risk has proven to be highly effective in managing the risk presented by high-risk and national security­ offenders,” a Corrective Services NSW spokeswoman said.