Wayne Hunt’s death in custody inquest told post-epileptic man handcuffed, put in spit hood and stripped
An epileptic grandfather was handcuffed, put in a spit hood, stripped naked and left alone in a cell, rather than being provided medical care following a seizure in Darwin prison. WARNING: Distressing
A beloved Territory grandfather was handcuffed, bound in a spit hood, stripped naked and left isolated in a cell after a medical emergency was mistaken for ‘aggression’ by Territory prison officers.
On Monday, Coroner Elisabeth Armitage heard that the Victorian-born butcher Wayne Hunt died of a catastrophic brain bleed in the Darwin Correctional Centre on August 31, 2024, after his post-epileptic seizure demeanour was classed as a behavioural incident.
Counsel assisting the coroner Mary Chalmers said footage of the Correctional reaction to the 56-year-old one-legged man’s medical emergency was “confronting” and potentially an inappropriate use of force.
Ms Chalmers said Mr Hunt was “bound, in a wheelchair, bleeding, confused and in a spit hood while he was recovering from his seizure” as he was taken to an at risk cell.
“It is confronting and, I will posit, not what the community expects from the agencies responsible for the care and wellbeing of persons in custody, particularly a disabled man who has just suffered an epileptic seizure,” she said.
The coronial heard that Mr Hunt was in prison following a horrific accident outside a Palmerston supermarket just days before Christmas 2022.
While trying to reverse out, the one-legged man accidentally surged his ute forward, striking and killing 11-year-old Daemarius Purcell-Appo.
It was a split second accident that forever devastated Mr Hunt, and resulted in him pleading guilty to dangerous driving causing death.
He was initially sentenced to three months in prison with a nine month home detention order, but on appeal Mr Hunt was sent back to the Holtze prison for another nine months.
He was back in custody for less than 72-hours when Mr Hunt suffered his third ever seizure, triggering a ‘Code Blue’ emergency at 4.20pm on August 29, 2024.
The inquest heard that within 20 minutes of arriving in his cell, Mr Hunt “started to convulse and foam at the mouth”, with guards called over the intercom.
But in the wake of the medical emergency, officers misinterpreted his post-seizure agitation and aggression as behavioural noncompliance.
Ms Chalmers told the coroner that rather than being taken to the medical rooms for a post seizure medical assessment, the 56-year-old was handcuffed and put in a spit hood.
“He was put in an ‘at risk’ cell where he was stripped naked and left lying on the floor,” she said.
Ms Chalmers said instead of medical observation and hospitalisation, Mr Hunt was put on suicide watch.
“You will hear that the doctor on duty did not attend Mr Hunt at any time,” Ms Chalmers said.
Mr Hunt was found unresponsive on the floor of his cell at 7am the next morning.
He never regained consciousness, and was taken off life support three days later while surrounded by his loved ones.
Ms Chalmers said the inquest aimed to answer how a relatively healthy 56-year-old man went into prison with all his appropriate medication, and was dead within three days.
The coroner heard that the Correction department was well aware that the 56-year-old suffered from epilepsy, having suffered his first seizure during his first stint in prison.
She said at the time the Corrections system was struggling with an influx of prisoners, Mr Hunt one of 1436 people locked up in Darwin Correctional Centre in August 2024, compared to around 1000 three years earlier.
Ms Chalmers also said there was confusion among Health staff over whether he had his medication that morning.
Both NT Health and Corrections has conceded that Mr Hunt’s treatment fell below the expected standards.
The NT Corrections legal representative Michael McCarthy conceded that footage of Mr Hunt’s transfer post-seizure showed officers behaving “unprofessionally”.
“While it does not excuse the behaviour, each of those staff have reflected candidly on their actions and have expressed their regret having behaved as they did,” Mr McCarthy said.
His long term partner, Rhonda Phillips reminded the court not to lose sight of the “light of her life” at the centre of the inquest, describing Mr Hunt as a humble, good natured man who had overcome immense difficulties and was loved by all.
“I just want the world to know that he was a really good person, who was deeply loved,” she said.
“No one should ever be treated the Wayne was he was treated in those final moments.”
As tears dropped from her cheek, Ms Phillips shared their 20-year love story recounting how Mr Hunt becoming a father to her children and “Pop” to their 18 grandchildren.
“Wayne was so excited to meet his 19th grandchild, but he never did. She was born just three days after Wayne died.” she said.
Ms Phillips said her last moment with Mr Hunt was “horrific”, as she was given just two hours with her loved one before he returned to prison on re-sentence.
“That was the last time I ever saw him,” she said.
The inquest continues on Tuesday, with 23 witnesses expected to be called over the next five days to give evidence about his treatment in prison.
A second, four-day block of hearings will continue from December 1 to focus on his cause of death.
