Illawarra crim Johnny Murray sentenced for ‘appalling’ headbutt on corrections officer

An Illawarra man with a burgeoning criminal record confronted three woman with an axe, stole a car and assaulted a corrections officer, a court has heard.

Johnny Murray was sentenced in Wollongong Local Court on Wednesday.

An Illawarra man who attacked a corrections officer has learned his fate for the attack as well as a string of other “absolutely appalling” crimes.

Johnny James Murray was sentenced in Wollongong Local Court on Wednesday to two years in jail after previously pleading guilty to inflicting actual bodily harm on a law enforcement officer.

The 27-year-old also pleaded guilty to entering a dwelling to commit an indictable offence, intimidation, dishonestly obtaining property by deception, stealing a car, driving while disqualified, two counts of common assault and two counts of contravening an apprehended violence order.

Court documents stated one morning in August, 2021, Murray stormed into a house in Dapto with a blunt axe.

Murray proceeded to swing the axe at a woman and yelled “This is because you lied to me”.

Murray swung the axe towards another woman who screamed “Don’t you f-----g dare c--t” as she tucked her child under her arm and fled to a bedroom.

The thug got into a scuffle with a third woman who lost her balance and smashed her head through a window.

“Please Johnny stop” screamed the woman from the bedroom as her partner arrived on the scene causing Murray to flee.

While on bail in January, last year, Murray and a woman were walking past the 7-Eleven in Lake Illawarra when they stumbled across an unlocked Mazda with the keys in the ignition.

Johnny Murray stormed into a Dapto house with a blunt axe. Picture: Facebook

They both hopped in as Murray drove off, with the theft captured on the service station’s CCTV.

The following day, the same car was spotted at a service station in Kanahooka where the same woman pumped nearly $100 worth of petrol in the car before Murray drove off.

The car was found two days later with police matching a DNA sample with Murray.

The documents stated when Murray was arrested after the car theft he assaulted a corrections officer.

Two officers were about to escort Murray to a legal interview booth when he asked to have a shower.

He was told he couldn't at that stage with the offender replying “Why do you have to be a c--t for?”.

“Come in the cell you c--t,” he continued.

“I already bashed one of you c---s.”

Murray was handcuffed and was being taken to the booth when he lunged and head butted one of the officers in the face.

The attack was picked up by CCTV with other officers rushing to provide support.

In court on Wednesday, Magistrate Gabriel Fleming said there was “no alternative” to a jail term.

“Your criminal record does not assist you,” she said.

“You need to stop taking drugs in jail because that's not going to help.

“Headbutting a corrections officer while they are at work is just absolutely appalling.”

The prison sentence has a non-parole period of 14 months, meaning with time already served he could be eligible for release in March.

Ms Fleming also imposed an 18-month community correction order with the condition Murray attend drug and alcohol counselling.

Murray must also repay Kanahooka service station $98 for the stolen fuel.