Tracey Mannix: Silverwater women’s prison governor faces hearing over alleged assault

A decorated governor of a woman’s prison has faced court defending allegations she assaulted an inmate by placing her hand around her throat.

Tracey Mannix leaving Burwood Local Court.

What occurred in less than two seconds will decide the fate of the decorated governor of the woman’s prison at Silverwater.

Tracey Mannix, 56, has worked in corrective services for decades and was in 2003 awarded a national medal for diligent work on the front lines of the justice system.

But her decorated career was put into doubt when she was arrested at her Mascot home following a referral from Corrective Services NSW on July 6, 2021.

On Tuesday Ms Mannix, supported by her family, fronted Burwood Local Court on the first day of a hearing as she attempted to clear her name of the charge she assaulted an inmate by placing her hand around her throat.

At the outset of the hearing, both the prosecution and the defence lawyers said there was no dispute over whether the inmate — who cannot be identified for legal reasons — was self harming, nor was there any disagreement over whether Ms Mannix and other correctional officers went to the inmate’s cell to prevent her causing further injuries to herself.

Tracey Mannix has pleaded not guilty to common assault.

Instead, the central issue resolved around whether Ms Mannix, in less than two seconds, allegedly placed her hand across the inmate’s throat in an unlawful manner.

What emerged on the first day of the hearing were sensational details about the situation which led an experienced prison governor to allegedly assault an inmate on June 15, 2021.

Tracey Mannix leaving Burwood Local Court on Feb 20, 2023.

Taking to the stand, the inmate told the court on the day of the alleged assault she had just been released from hospital because of self-inflicted wounds to her calf.

The court heard just after lunch on the day of the alleged assault the inmate saved carrot sticks from her meal and proceeded to insert them into her wounded calf, attempting to unpick stitches and cause further injuries.

A group of correctional officers soon entered the inmate’s cell where they found her seated on the bed, the court heard.

CCTV footage tendered to court showed the inmate stand and sit down, at multiple points, and she was soon surrounded by prison guards.

Another officer pushed the inmate’s right arm should to put her back on the bed in an attempt to restrain her.

Mannix then allegedly leaned towards the inmate and placed her hand under the chin, with four fingers around one side of her neck and the other thumb placed on the other side, the court heard.

“She wrapped her hand around my neck,” the inmate said, adding she felt “intimidated and scared” by the governor’s actions.

In cross-examination, Mannix’s lawyer put to the inmate that she was aggressive and used threatening language.

“You got yourself worked up before Ms Mannix came to see you in your cell,” the defence said.

“(You) threw things at the door … you banged on the door itself … you went up to the window and wrote words on the glass with your own blood and those words were ‘f**k off’.”

The defence also told the court the inmate delivered a litany of insults and threats to Ms Mannix, including “you c**t two-faced f**king asshole” and “I’ll smash you c**t”.

When questioned by the defence, the inmate also said she suffered no injury or pain from Ms Mannix’s alleged assault.

The hearing continues.