Three NSW prison guards and governor John O’Shea found to have engaged in corrupt conduct

A NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption report has found former Lithgow Correctional Centre Governor John O’Shea and three prison guards wrongly bashed an alleged bikie, leaving him with a fat lip, black eye, swollen ribs and a footprint on his face.

• Life behind bars with prison guards

The Governor and his guards from a NSW jail bashed an inmate and tried to cover it up, the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption has found.

The commissions report released on Monday, states former Lithgow Correctional Centre Governor John O’Shea and officers Terrence Walker, Brian McMurtrie, Elliott Duncan engaged in corrupt conduct when an inmate was bashed in February 2014. .

The report details the incident from February 19, which was “like something seen on television”.

“This inmate slagged off about a Governor,” read the original complaint by an anonymous source. “(The Governor) sends his thugs to teach the crim a lesson.

“The dumb thugs bash the wrong crim. Everyone panics so they have to fix it in case someone looks into it.

“The crim is threatened into saying he fell over. “They make up bullsh*t reports about drugs and weapons.

“A 2 Pippa (boss) goes to (inmate’s) cell when he not in it. “The next day the squad goes back and finds drugs.”

Former Lithgow Correctional Centre Governor John O’Shea ordered one of the guards to “sort out” a prisoner who was causing through with the intercom system. Picture: Facebook

That inmate, a bikie member facing serious drug supply charges, was left with a fat lip, black eye, swollen ribs and a footprint on his face.

The ICAC report found the officers bashed him after his cellmate had a war of words with the Governor Mr O’Shea over the intercom.

“During the morning, (the cellmate) used the (intercom) system to contact officers in the officers’ station of (the segregation unit) to complain about being in lockdown and not having a television,” the report reads.

Mr O’Shea happened to be in the officer’s station and answered the intercom.

MORE NEWS

Council declares climate-change emergency

Why Folau believes Rugby bosses set him up to fail

Bunnies’ Burgess blow rocks premiership hopes

Witnesses gave evidence to ICAC that there was swearing between the cellmate and Mr O’Shea.

Mr O’Shea then went down to the cell to see who was causing trouble.

Looking through the jail grill, Mr O’Shea said “you think you are a tough c*nt now. You won’t be in a minute”, one witness claimed.

The report states Mr O’Shea then gave an order to “sort him out” which was passed on to officer Terrence Walker who was known to have temper issues and had already involved in angry confrontations that month.

When Mr Walker filed into the cell with three other officers they started beating up the alleged bikie, the report reads.

According to evidence from the alleged bikie, “an officer from the squad entered and almost immediately started punching him in the face”.

He said they restrained one of his arms, continued to punch him, and kneed him in the ribs.

He was handcuffed and smashed against the cell door as they carried him out.

The incident happened at Lithgow Correctional Centre in February. Picture: Supplied

Meanwhile the cell mate, who caused all the trouble over the intercom, was pushed up against the wall and kept out of the way.

When they brought the alleged bikie back from hospital, he had a black eye and fat lip, the cellmates were also given a TV from a prison officer.

In the following days the officers filed a report claiming the alleged bikie had injured himself when he fell while trying to hide drugs in the toilet.

Mr Walker told the commission his report in 2014 was “all lies” and the suggestion the alleged bikie tried to throw something down the toilet was a “fabricated lie”.

Drugs were later found in the alleged bikie’s asthma puffer, which the commission found had been planted there by guards.

All of the officers found to have been corrupt later resigned from the Department of Corrective Services.

A Corrective Service NSW spokeswoman said the department would consider the findings and recommendations in the final report.

“The review conducted with ICAC’s support, identified areas where the reporting, monitoring and oversight of systems and procedures could be strengthened,” she said.