Questions remain over death of Joshua Robert Smith-Monaghan

A former teacher who died while on remand facing child sexual abuse charges was placed in a cell known to pose dangerous risks to prisoner safety. His alleged victim has described his death as a ‘failure of justice’.

The Townsville Correctional Centre. Picture: Evan Morgan

A former teacher in Townsville Correctional Centre who died of suicide while on remand and facing child sexual abuse charges was placed in a cell known to pose dangerous risks to prisoner safety, the Townsville Bulletin can reveal.

Joshua Robert Smith-Monaghan, 35, was found dead inside his cell at the Townsville Correctional Centre last Wednesday.

The 35-year-old former teacher was denied bail in Townsville Magistrates Court the week before and faced four counts of rape, eight counts of indecent treatment of a child under 16 and two counts of using the internet to procure a child under 16.

Sources with knowledge of the incident informed the Townsville Bulletin after Smith-Monaghan’s death that the cells in the Harold Gregg unit where he was being housed had previously been shut down due to the risks to inmates inherent in their design.

The cells contained an unacceptable number of hanging points and were decommissioned, but reopened in May of 2015 due to the pressure created by overcrowding in other cell units, a source told the Townsville Bulletin.

Crime victim speaks out. Picture: Evan Morgan

An alleged victim of Smith-Monaghan said his death was a ‘failure of justice’.

“People are just going to turn around and say, ‘well, he was never found guilty’, so there’s a lot of unfairness and the justice system has failed in a sense,” the 16-year-old girl said.

Smith-Monaghan’s death is the second in as many weeks, with another prisoner found unresponsive in another unit having suicided at the end of September.

That death took place outside of the Harold Gregg unit, and investigations into the circumstances of both deaths are ongoing.

“All deaths in custody are investigated by the Queensland Police Service and reported to the Coroner,” A Queensland Corrective Services spokesman said.

“As this matter is currently being investigated and has been reported to the Coroner it would be inappropriate to comment further on this specific matter.”

It’s understood all prisoners are assessed for risk to their personal safety and behavioural concerns when they first arrive at TCC.

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Minister for Corrective Services Laura Gerber said a report would be provided to the coroner.

“Circumstances around this death will be reviewed by both Queensland Corrective Services and the Queensland Police Service, with a report provided to the Coroner.”

A Queensland opposition spokesman said those recommendations should be considered.

“There will be a coronial investigation into this death and the Government should consider the recommendations from that inquest.”

Originally published as Questions remain over death of Joshua Robert Smith-Monaghan