Frank Baxter riot detainees face court
Quiet, subdued and compliant; Frank Baxter detainees have faced court for the first time as the legal hangover of their alleged 21-hour rampage at Kariong begins to sink in.
Two teenagers with visible injuries were among 20 who faced court today charged over a violent riot at Frank Baxter Juvenile Justice Centre.
It comes as the government has appointed former Central Coast co-ordinator general Lee Shearer to lead an independent review into the 21-hours of bloody mayhem, sparked when four detainees allegedly overpowered a guard and stole his keys before taking control of the centre.
Three men, aged 18 and one 19-year-old faced Gosford Local Court where their Legal Aid solicitor did not apply for bail and it was formally refused.
One appeared in the dock with bruising and a graze to the right side of his face while another had a large scratch running from his temple to his cheek.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Richard Taylor applied for a forensic procedure so DNA swabs could be taken from each of the accused teenagers and their matters were adjourned to August 9.
It came as a further 16 juvenile detainees faced Woy Woy Children’s Court this morning and another man, 19, faced Gosford Local Court yesterday.
All of the detainees were charged with one count of riot, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years jail.
Charge sheets tendered in court allege they “assembled for the common purpose of rioting at the Frank Baxter Juvenile Justice Centre” between 8pm on Sunday and 5.30pm the following day.
“Such that a person of reasonable firmness, if person was at the scene, would have feared for their safety,” the charge sheets read.
“Being one of 12 persons present together in a riotous assembly, using and threatening unlawful violence for a common purpose, namely damaging property, intimidating staff and assaulting other inmates and staff, being armed with offensive weapons (knives and poles) and did use unlawful violence for the said common purpose by assaulting staff members and other inmates and property damage and the said conduct of all such persons taken together was such as would cause a person at the scene to fear for his or her safety.”
Brisbane Water detectives established Strike Force Mittabah to investigate the incident while Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services Gareth Ward has called for an urgent review of the incident.
“It will be conducted by former Police Assistant Commissioner Lee Shearer,” he said in a statement.
“This inquiry will get to the bottom of what happened at Frank Baxter.
“The independent review will be in addition to plans already in place to establish a unit at Frank Baxter to manage high-risk offenders.”
Three detainees continue to receive medical treatment at Gosford Hospital.
One suffered stab wounds and a collapsed lung, another suffered head and facial injuries, and the third detainee suffered a fractured ankle.
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