Two inmates from Barwon prison in hospital after stabbing

A young inmate stabbed in a brutal Barwon Prison attack was involved in the assault on a senior Victoria Police member at a school in Toorak, it has been revealed.

Two inmates were stabbed as violence flared at Barwon Prison. Picture: Mark Stewart

A prisoner stabbed in a brutal jailhouse knife-fight had previously been involved in a violent attack on a high-ranking Victoria Police officer.

Jay Stephens, 23, was taken to hospital with stab wounds after he and another inmate fought with shivs, a type of makeshift blade, at maximum security Barwon Prison on Sunday.

His opponent, aged 26, was also taken to hospital for treatment of injuries suffered in the bloodshed.

It is believed there had been previous friction between the pair and that the stoush was pre-arranged.

Jay Stephens and his brother Isaiah bashed a police officer.

The Herald Sun has been told Stephens’ father, Jared Pihlgren, who is also in custody, watched on as the violence erupted.

It is unclear what role he had played in the incident.

Stephens and his brother Isaiah bashed Assistant Commissioner Chris O’Neill on the grounds of St Kevin’s College in Toorak in June, 2019.

The siblings had just been thrown off a train at Heyington station for offensive behaviour, including urinating and vomiting in a carriage, when Mr O’Neill came across them.

Jay threw several punches and his brother joined in, striking the off-duty policeman from behind.

Mr O’Neill was left with broken ribs and later told a court he had been left hyper-vigilant and emotionally affected by the onslaught.

The brothers’ actions would have been no surprise to anyone who knew Pihlgren.

He has a criminal record stretching back three decades, including for weapons offences, assault by kicking, property damage and making threats to kill.

His hatred for police was made clear in the aftermath of his son’s cowardly attack on Mr O’Neill.

“F*** the police and your crew ya swine. You attack mine, god help yours,” he wrote on Facebook.

Sunday’s double-stabbing involving Jay Stephens is being investigated by detectives from Geelong CIU.

It followed a succession of other violent incidents at Barwon Prison this month.

The attacks came as it was revealed two prisoners would be charged and others remained under scrutiny over a series of officer bashings at Barwon.

Victoria Police said one inmate will be charged on summons over an assault on a staff member on March 4.

That attack happened in the Olearia high security unit of the jail, near Geelong.

Olearia is regarded as a self-contained “prison within a prison”, where some of the most dangerous inmates in the system are separated from the rest of the behind-bars population.

Another detainee is also expected to be charged on summons over a separate staff assault on the same day.

No charges have been laid over other attacks on officers two days later, including in the Grevillea unit.

Detectives were called in to investigate and WorkSafe became involved after the wave of violence against Barwon workers which left up to eight of them hurt.

Victims were left with a range of injuries including a split head, suspected concussion and knee damage.

Sources later told the Herald Sun friction was being generated by the increasing use of lockdowns.

They said staff shortages were a big factor in that.

There were other attacks on staff at Loddon Prison in Castlemaine in the same week.