Former Bandido bikie Lionel Patea charged after allegedly throwing boiling water on inmate
A FORMER Bandido bikie on remand accused of murder has been charged with pouring boiling water over a paedophile in jail.
A FORMER Bandido bikie on remand accused of murder has been charged with pouring boiling water over a paedophile in jail.
Lionel Patea, a former Bandidos sergeant-at-arms who is in jail awaiting trial for the murder of his former girlfriend Tara Brown, has been charged with causing grievous bodily harm after an alleged assault involving another prisoner.
A prison source confirmed the incident happened about three months ago.
“There didn’t appear to be any reason for any fight,” the source said.
The source said the allegation was that Patea assaulted the paedophile by pouring boiling water over him.
“He was considering himself a bit of a martyr (after that).”
Patea’s Gold Coast lawyer, Campbell MacCallum, confirmed the ex-bikie had been charged with causing grievous bodily harm following an altercation with another prisoner on April 2.
Patea is expected to front the Brisbane Magistrates Court on August 1 on the assault charge.
Mr MacCallum said he understood the other prisoner had indicated he was reluctant to follow through with the charges.
The Bulletin has been told that for the serious assault charges to be pressed against Patea, the victim needed to have sustained severe burns.
Prison sources reveal Patea and his younger brother Nelson, who is facing a murder charge over the death of Gold Coast father Greg Dufty, have copped several beatings while at the Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre.
They also allege Nelson Patea has been involved in a fight with a prison guard.
Amid the ongoing violence and a likely marathon wait for their murder trials, Mr MacCallum said Lionel Patea was in forced protective custody.
“He has been put into protection against his wishes, since he was arrested, but he is agitating to be put into the mainstream prison,” Mr MacCallum said.
“He has made a few friends in prison and is following instructions comfortably but he is really pushing (to be with the other inmates) because he didn’t ask to be put into protection.”
Lionel Patea has been in the correctional centre since being charged with the murder of Ms Brown in September last year.
Police allege Lionel rammed her car, forcing her off the road, after she had dropped her three-year-old daughter off at daycare.
While she was trapped in the wreckage at Molendinar, Lionel beat her mercilessly with a cast-iron water hydrant cover until she was unrecognisable, police will allege.
Nelson, 22, was charged in May after a four-month police investigation into the death of Dufty, who had a trail of drug debts.
He is also in jail but not in protective custody.
Originally published as Former Bandido bikie Lionel Patea charged after allegedly throwing boiling water on inmate