Prison diaries: How Malcolm Naden went from Australia’s most wanted man to the most wanted man in prison

HE was our most wanted fugitive, evading capture for seven years by living rough in the state’s vast bushlands. Now Malcolm Naden is in prison, where everybody wants him dead.

HE was our most wanted fugitive, evading capture for seven years by living rough in the state’s vast bushlands. But the heat really came on former abattoir worker Malcolm Naden after he was eventually arrested in 2012.

Sent to Goulburn’s maximum security jail for life for the murders of two women, including his cousin Lateesha Nolan, Naden initially threatened to kill anyone and everyone.

He demanded — and won — the right to associate with other prisoners, but then Naden was brutally attacked with a makeshift weapon by his second cousin, Dean Nolan, himself a vicious murderer of a young boy.

Nolan was subsequently sentenced to another 15 months’ jail for the assault on Naden. Naden was sent back to segregation for his own protection, where he remains today.

Naden was sent to Goulburn’s maximum security prison after being convicted.

■ Read the inside story of Naden’s life in Goulburn in this exclusive piece by James Phelps from his new book Australia’s Most Murderous Prison: Behind the Walls of Goulburn Jail.

‘F... YOU dog,’’ he screamed through the fence.

“We going to f...... kill you.’’

Another joined in.

“Yeah you dead cuz,’’ the next said.

And then another.

“I’ll f...... stab you dog.’’

Australia’s most wanted man was now Goulburn’s most wanted man. And Malcolm Naden did not give a shit.

“You!’’ said Naden, pointing at the man who threatened first.

“You!’’ he continued, pointing at the next.

“And you!’’ he deadpanned, finger now firmly fixed on the third.

“Just been told I’m getting out of segro (segregation). So you better kill me before I kill you first.’’

Kristy Scholes.

Lateesha Nolan.

‘THANK God it’s over,’’ Naden allegedly told police as his seven years on the run finally came to an end.

“I’ve had enough.’’

His leg savaged by a police dog called Chuck, Australia’s most wanted man was cuffed and put in the back of a truck.

A tip-off had led police to the expert bushman wanted for murder, aggravated assault, and shooting with intent to murder.

Sporting a heavy beard, and tired eyes, Naden was Australia’s most famous fugitive after disappearing on June 20, 2005 — the day he allegedly killed his female cousin, Lateesha Nolan.

Naden, who no longer had a $250,000 reward on his head, was charged and sent to Australia’s most secure jail, Goulburn. Most would be terrified by the prospect of being sent to the notorious jail, but after spending seven years on the run, Naden was afraid of nothing, and scared of nobody.

“When he first came in he was down the back in segregation,’’ reveals a current Goulburn corrections officer.

“He was classified as an NA (a non association) prisoner and that was to do with his crime and the fact he was so high profile.

“They figured they could not put him straight out the yard. But he didn’t want to be locked
up with blokes who couldn’t protect themselves.

“Naden was in three yard, which is the yellow yard, and they walked them across the circle and put them in the cookhouse: which is an empty yard between all the other yards.

The cover of James Phelps’ new book, which is being released on August 3.

“They put him in there so no one can get at him or have anything to do with him.

“He used a cop a lot of stick from the Aborigines in the yard adjacent. They would scream at him. They would call him a dog and threaten to kill him.

“But he wasn’t scared of anything. He walked straight up to the fence and said he would kill them. All of them. And they shat their pants.

“I would call him a psychopath. He’s got cold, black eyes. There is just nothing in there.

“There is no empathy and no fear. The other inmates were all scared of him.’’

All except one …

SMACK.

The sandwich toaster-arm turned prison battering ram smashed into Naden’s head.

Smack. Smack. Smack.

Blows rained down on the murderer’s head. He had been ambushed in the prison yard about 2.20pm November 2013.

“Naden hated being locked away in segregation,’’ the officer says.

“He could look after himself and didn’t want to be treated like a dog. So it was actually Naden himself that put in a declaration saying he wanted to be put out into the yard. He signed a document saying that he was safe to be put out in the yard, that he had no dramas with anyone. He said there were no threats to him and he was no threat to anyone else.

“These sorts of documents are supposed to cover us but they don’t really mean shit. There was a protection inmate a few years ago who signed one and he ended up suing the department after he was bashed. “So I guess it’s just a piece of paper.’’

Naden’s time in jail is revealed in a new book, Australia’s Most Murderous Prison: Behind the Walls of Goulburn Jail.

Naden said he was safe to be put in the yard. But he wasn’t. His own family had promised vengeance against anyone found to have hurt Lateesha Nolan before the fugitive was charged with her murder. And again they promised it after.

Naden’s cousin had been waiting for the man who killed their mutual relative, Lateesha. Dean Nolan, himself a murderer serving 25 years for killing a young boy, was desperate to exact revenge.

He armed himself with a makeshift weapon, the arm of a sandwich toaster, and ambushed Naden as he walked into the yard.

He smashed Naden about the head with repeated blows until corrections officers stopped the brutal attack.

“He did have enemies because his entire family had vowed to
kill him for what he did,’’ the
officer says.

“And it just happened that one of those family members was in the yard he was sent to. He absolutely got the crap kicked out of him by his cousin. I’m pretty sure he didn’t see it coming because there is little doubt he would have put up a fight.’’

Naden was sent to hospital,
and then he was sent back to segregation.

“He has been an NA inmate since the bashing,’’ the guard says.

“And he is happy with that classification now. He is quite happy to do his own thing and he has learned to deal with it. There are just too many threats in prison for a bloke like Naden.

Even if he didn’t have family members out to get him in jail, he would still be a high profile inmate that is a target for others wanting to make their name.’’

It can be revealed that Naden also tried to kill himself.

Inside Goulburn's Maximum security jail, which houses convicted murderer Malcolm Naden.

HE was kicking when they came in. His hands were around his neck and his
face was red. One officer rushed in and grabbed
the killer in a bear hug. “He tried
to hang himself the first night he was in Goulburn,’’ a Goulburn officer reveals.

“He had to be moved to Long Bay hospital because he tried to
kill himself.’’

Naden was given medical attention after his arrest. And then he was sent to Goulburn.

“I saw him straight after he was arrested and he was a mess,’’ the officer says.

“He was absolutely tiny and his calf had been ripped off by the police dog. It was horrible to look at because it just fell off when it was bitten by the dog. He was taken straight to Goulburn.’’

And that is when he tried to kill himself.

“Sure, it would be pretty hard for most people to do,’’ the officer continued.

“But you have to remember he was a skeleton at the time because he was starving himself in the bush.

“He would have been 45kg at the most. He was almost dead when they found him.

“They saved his life and from what I know he hasn’t tried it since. We have certainly made it more difficult with no more hanging points.’’

* If you liked this exclusive Sunday Telegraph story, you’ll love James Phelps’ coming book Australia’s Most Murderous Prison: Behind the Walls of Goulburn Jail, in stores on August 3. Pre-orders available at Bookworld http://bit.ly/1dPzxzI and iTunes http://ow.ly/Pq47J

* DON’T MISS PART II OF THE PRISON DIARIES IN THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH NEXT WEEK: SYDNEY’S MOST DEADLY FEUD