Family of South Australian prisoner Wayne Morrison ‘say goodbye’ after violent altercation in prison

THE family of a South Australian man who died after a violent altercation with prison officers have said heartfelt goodbyes.

Latoya Rule and her brother Wayne Morrison, who died on Monday morning. Picture: Facebook

FAMILY members of the South Australian prisoner who was left “brain dead” after a violent altercation with guards have said their heartfelt goodbyes.

Wayne Morrison, 29, was involved in a brawl with guards at Yatala Labour Prison in Adelaide’s north on Saturday.

Five prison staff were treated for injuries, including facial fractures, and Morrison was “brought under control”, officials said.

He was later transferred back to the maximum security G-division and then to Royal Adelaide Hospital in a critical condition.

Relatives said he was in a coma on Saturday night. On Monday morning, South Australian Police confirmed Morrison had died in hospital.

“In the early hours of this morning, the man formerly from Andrew’s Farm died in hospital,” police said in a statement.

Morrison’s family posted farewell messages on social media and called for a formal investigation into what happened behind closed doors at the high security jail.

“Rest in peace my brother, I’ll love you always,” Patrick Morrison wrote.

His sister, Latoya Rule, wrote that she was “broken” after saying goodbye.

“I walked from the hospital to the steps of parliament and just sat there all morning till the sun came up,” she said.

“I thought that maybe I had the courage to stay until (South Australian Premier) Jay Weatherill came out and I could ask for justice ... but I just ended up breaking down. I can’t be strong. I am broken. We are broken.”

To her brother she wrote: “I will never forget you” and “I will love you forever”.

Matthew Morrison wrote that more needed to be done to protect indigenous inmates like his brother from “provocation”, “volatility” and “excessive force” while in custody.

“Such abusive behaviour is outdated, unprofessional, and completely unnecessary,” he wrote.

“Under no circumstances should any human being suffer such misconduct, nor the neglect and sheer brutality that was used that ended in the loss of our brothers life. He never deserved any of this!”

It is believed CCTV cameras captured the incident, which is now the subject of a police investigation.

Correctional Services Department chief executive David Brown said the “critical incident” involved an alleged assault by an inmate on prison staff.

“The prisoner involved in the incident was brought under control by responding staff,” Mr Brown said.

“In the course of the incident, a medical emergency ensued and the correctional staff applied immediate first-aid to the prisoner and sought assistance from on-site medical staff.”

Mr Brown said an ambulance was called a short time later and the prisoner was transferred to the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

Mr Brown would not comment on whether the prisoner suffered a cardiac arrest.

“I cannot comment further on the circumstances or the cause of the medical emergency,” he said.