Chad Achurch: Man convicted of live-baiting greyhounds gets 12 more months
A greyhound trainer and ex-Rebel bikie, who was serving time in Goulburn for several offences including live baiting his greyhounds with rabbits in a suburban backyard, has received more prison time for two jailyard assaults which he justified.
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A greyhound trainer, who claims to have severed all ties with the Rebels outlaw bikie gang, has said he had to assault two men in prison because of loyalty to the gang.
Chad Achurch, 31, was serving two years and seven months in Goulburn Correctional Centre for live-baiting his greyhounds in his parents Cabramatta backyard and a number of other violent offences, when he bashed the two men.
In 2016, police discovered videos of rabbits squealing to death and dead rabbits in the mouths of dogs on his mobile phone.
He will now spend 12 more months behind bars for the jailyard bashings, which sentencing Magistrate Phillip Stewart called “an attack”.
On March 13, 2019, police had just broken up a brawl between Achurch’s victim Terry Sampson and another inmate in the cookhouse yard.
While Sampson was still being restrained by officers, Achurch walked up and punched him in the head.
As punishment, he spent seven days in isolation.
Magistrate Stewart said it was “Not a fair fight. It was not a fight, it was an attack”.
About two weeks later, in the middle of the day on March 25, Achurch marched over to Robert Kennedy and unleashed a hook to the man’s head.
Kennedy fought back but was outnumbered three-to-one when two of Achurch’s mates, Adam Coats and Shawn Herbert, jumped in.
After the punch-on, Kennedy had a number of cuts to his face, hands and knees.
Achurch did not deny the offences, but justified his actions by saying he would not have done it on the outside and that it was “necessary” due to his ongoing gang associations.
Achurch told the court he had now dissociated from the criminal gang and is now serving his time in protective custody.
But Magistrate Stewart was sceptical of his alleged gang disassociation, saying it “came about quickly” for a sentencing assessment report about two months ago.
“Without proof on that issue, I have great difficulty accepting its veracity,” Magistrate Stewart said.
“Any sentence must send a strong message to this offender and to other prisoners and outlaw motorcycle gang members that violence actions associated with perceived obligations to a gang will not be tolerated,” Magistrate Stewart said.
“The offender by his remarks recognises right from wrong but deliberately chose wrong,” he continued.
In total, Achurch has been imprisoned for 32 months and 11 days non-parole since October 10, 2016, for three separate sets of offending.
He will be eligible for release again on February 11, 2021, following a six month non-parole period.