Jail attack: Thomas Ivanovic prison stabbing caught on CCTV
A BRUTAL stabbing of one of Victoria’s best-connected criminals has been caught on CCTV inside the walls of Barwon Prison.
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FOOTAGE of a prison stabbing attack on influential criminal Thomas Ivanovic has been handed over to police.
Ivanovic, among Victoria’s best-connected criminals, survived an attack at Barwon Prison on April 28.
It is believed it was carried out in revenge for the stabbing of a former ally three years ago inside the jail.
Ivanovic, known as Little Tommy, was in a general prison population unit at the time of the attack, which was filmed on CCTV.
After being treated in hospital, Ivanovic was moved to a higher-security area of the prison for his own safety.
Victoria Police confirmed a 21-year-old man has been interviewed over the attack but charges have not yet been laid.
A more extensive, or separate, investigation may be conducted into suspicions other prison ringleaders plotted to have Ivanovic stabbed.
The 42-year-old was an associate of gangsters such as Rocco Arico and Carl Williams during the gangland war and beyond and was known to former detective Paul Dale.
Police have long suspected Ivanovic played a role in setting up Williams’ prison murder in 2010. Records show Ivanovic was on the phone to Arico minutes after Williams was bludgeoned to death by associate Matthew Johnson.
A Corrections Victoria spokesman said it was assisting police with its investigation into the attack on Ivanovic and treated all incidents in the prison system seriously.
But he said the department could not comment on the management of individual prisoners.
“Corrections Victoria works closely with other agencies to share intelligence, monitor prisoner behaviour and manage prisoner placements to ensure the security and good order of the system,” he said.
Ivanovic is serving a 20-year sentence for murdering motorcyclist Ivan Conabere in a road rage incident in Brunswick West in 2002.
He was jailed by Justice Philip Cummins in 2003 to a minimum sentence of 15 years.
It is not known if he has applied for parole.