Inmates charged over prison guard torture at Mid North Coast Correctional

A convicted terrorist who allegedly took a prison guard hostage and tortured him has been charged, along with a second inmate, over the five-hour ordeal.

A convicted terrorist who allegedly took a prison guard hostage and tortured him has been charged, along with a second inmate, over the five-hour ordeal.

The shocking saga inside the Mid North Coast Correctional Centre on December 19 allegedly involved the officer being stabbed up to 40 times and having cleaning chemicals poured over his wounds and eyes as he screamed for help.

An officer from the Mid North Coast Correctional Centre arrives at Port Macquarie Base Hospital. Picture: Nathan Edwards

Mid North Coast Correctional Centre near Kempsey. Picture: Nathan Edwards

Outside the barricaded door the guard’s distraught colleagues tried to help but it took five hours to negotiate his release.

Detectives on Thursday revealed the ordeal began when two inmates had in fact taken two guards hostage.

“Police will allege two inmates — aged 20 and 23 — armed themselves with makeshift weapons and held two NSW Correctional Officers against their will within a room at a facility near Kempsey,” a police statement said.

“One officer managed to escape a short time later and called for additional resources.

“Police will further allege the remaining officer was assaulted and stabbed several times over several hours.”

Mid North Coast Correctional Centre near Kempsey. Picture: Nathan Edwards

The guard needed treatment to “a fractured eye socket, a punctured left lung, multiple lacerations, bruising and significant chemical burns”.

The 20-year-old inmate — who is serving 35 years for the Islamic State-inspired murder of a Queanbeyan service station attendant in 2017 — and the 23-year-old inmate were transferred from Goulburn Supermax prison on Thursday morning to Goulburn Police Station.

They were each charged with seven offences including cause wounding with intent to murder and detain person in company.

The alleged attack has stunned members of the correctives community.

In the wake of the guard’s traumatic ordeal CSNSW committed to improving CCTV, training and looking at the way it manages inmates who are waiting to be assessed for the buprenorphine drug replacement program.

“Prison officers have the toughest jobs in the state,” Public Services Association general secretary Stewart Little said.

“They should be entitled to frontline workers’ compensation, just as police, paramedics and firefighters are.”