Robert William Junior Barnes jailed for multiple assaults on corrections officers

A prisoner has been sentenced for his violent rampage over several months, including bashing an inmate and throwing a cup of urine in the face of a corrections officer.

A thug has been sentenced for his violent rampage on corrections officers, including throwing a cup of urine in the face of one.

Robert William Junior Barnes, 38, was told by a judge he was at “extreme risk” of becoming institutionalised after he was jailed for over a decade.

During sentencing, the District Court heard Barnes and his co-accused approached an inmate on September 7, 2021, while in Port Augusta prison.

They began punching him in the back of the head.

“Both of you trod heavily upon (the victim), stomping on his head and upper torso,” Judge Paul Slattery said.

Robert William Junior Barnes was jailed for multiple assaults on corrections officers. Picture: Zak Simmonds

The victim was taken to hospital after suffering a fractured eye socket requiring surgery.

Later that month, a corrections officer escorted Barnes to the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

After Barnes attempted to bite off his own finger, the corrections officer pinned his arms to the side.

Barnes then punched him to the left side of his body and ear, causing it to bleed.

“You then exclaimed ‘I’m going to f***ing bite your ear off’,” Judge Slattery said.

On October 2, 2022, Barnes was in the Adelaide Remand Centre when a corrections officer told him he’d report him for being late.

“You were visibly agitated at this point and verbally threatened to kill (the officer) leading him to press the duress alarm and request assistance,” Judge Slattery said.

“You sprinted away and subsequently armed yourself with a metal pipe from a vacuum cleaner and ran back towards the office.”

Barnes managed to force his way into the office and hit the officer with the pipe three times to his forehead and once to his arm.

Another man arrived to provide assistance and Barnes spat in his face.

The court heard another corrections officer was assisting Barnes with medication on February 28, 2023.

“Upon his opening the trap to your cell you threw a cup of urine into his face,” Judge Slattery said.

“The liquid went into his face, his mouth and his eyes.”

The victim asked Barnes why he acted the way he did, which he responded “F*** off you dog, I got you good”.

Barnes pleaded guilty to multiple offences, including causing harm with intent and assaulting an emergency worker.

“Overall, each of these events reveals a tendency to violent actions and impulsivity, particularly towards those in positions of authority to you,” Judge Slattery said.

“You have caused a great deal of suffering to each of your victims and there is no way to palliate this.”

Judge Slattery said Barnes was at “extreme risk” of becoming institutionalised, which he noted was a tragedy.

“Unfortunately, the combination of your criminal history, ongoing struggles with mental health and propensity to violent behaviour reveals a high risk of recidivism,” he said.

Adding on to a previous sentence, Barnes was sentenced to 11 years and 11 months jail, with a non-parole period of six years and six months.

The sentence was backdated to January 13, 2021.

Originally published as Robert William Junior Barnes jailed for multiple assaults on corrections officers