Greater West 2770 gang assault officer at Cobham over pies
Inmates have been known to riot over prison food but this one takes the cake – or rather the pie. Members of a notorious Western Sydney gang allegedly attacked a juvenile justice officer leaving him seriously injured.
NSW
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Three members of the “Greater West 2770” gang are alleged to have bashed a juvenile justice officer after a fight erupted over leftover pies.
A Youth Justice NSW source said the fight erupted after detainees at Cobham Youth Justice Centre were being handed pies to eat for lunch with one gang member spotted wrapping a pie to take back to his room.
“They had been having a lunch of pies and sausage rolls when one tried to take some leftovers to their room, which is against local policy as no refrigeration is available in their rooms,” the source told The Sunday Telegraph.
The inmate allegedly attacked the officer after he was told he could not take the pie before two other gang members – one aged 17, the other 18 – joined in.
“The officer assaulted by these gangsters is off for at least 10 weeks,” the source said.
The incident has triggered calls for adults in Youth Justice NSW centres to be transferred to prison, with the source revealing the main offender would soon be turning 18.
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The gang is one of several operating in Western Sydney, with some members now in the juvenile justice system along with those of the Inner Western Brotherhood.
The Greater West 2770 gang was linked to the bashing and robbery of a 14-year-old boy outside Quakers Hill McDonald’s in July last year.
Officers actively keep rival gang members who are also in detention apart.
Another Youth Justice NSW source said the assaulted officer required hospitalisation for injuries, which are believed to have included a broken finger or hand and lacerations to his face.
In a separate incident, another notorious adult detainee at Cobham also assaulted an officer, kicking him the groin and also injuring his hand.
It is understood the detainee is about to turn 19, again raising questions by staff as to why the department has stopped transferring older misbehaving inmates to prison.
The inconsistent use of the policy was highlighted in the recent Shearer Report into the troubled juvenile justice system, which warned that it was not in the interests of detainees themselves that they be allowed to commit “unlawful acts in custody (including violent assaults) with no consequences”.
Public Service Association general secretary Stewart Little said some of the changes implemented within the system since the review had led to improvements, but that there were still a handful of detainees — mainly adults — causing problems.
Things have improved but there are a few that are still causing a problem, he said.
“Our attitude is if you’re 18 and you assault our officer, you go off to big jail,” he said.
“We don’t know why they are still there.”
Since 21 July 2019, 13 detainees have been transferred to jail.
A Communities and Justice Department spokesman said the safety of both staff and detainees was a “priority”.
“We are currently implementing a range of improvements to make the centres safer,” he said.
Originally published as Greater West 2770 gang assault officer at Cobham over pies