Alleged prison rioter denied bail

ONE of the men accused of being involved in the recent riot at the Darwin Correctional Facility, who was due to be released this week before his alleged involvement, has been denied bail.

One of the men accused of being involved in the recent riot at the Darwin Correctional Facility, who was due to be released this week before his alleged involvement, has been denied bail. Picture: Elise Derwin

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• Mass Darwin jail breakout: Prisoners ‘weren’t happy for some reason’, says Justice Minister Natasha Fyles
• Ninety corrections officers called in to help with riot, which is now a major police investigation
• 21 prisoners escape cells in mass breakout at Darwin Correctional Centre, during 4-hour standoff

ONE of the men accused of being involved in the recent riot at the Darwin Correctional Facility, who was due to be released this week before his alleged involvement, has been denied bail.

Jefferson Bradshaw appeared, shackled in handcuffs on his hands and feet, in the Darwin Local Court via video link from the prison.

The court heard Bradshaw is alleged to have been one of the 21 prisoners involved in a riot at the prison at Holtze on the night of May 13.

He stands charged with damage property in a riot, escape lawful confinement and assaulting a worker.

Bradshaw’s lawyer Marty Aust, who applied for bail on his client’s behalf, told the court Bradshaw was due to be released on Sunday before the most recent charges related to the riot were laid.

He said Bradshaw was not one of the main alleged offenders in the riot.

“At the most he appears to be generally on the periphery,” Mr Aust said.

“My submission simply is that there is very limited evidence to him engaging in riotous behaviour.”

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However, Mr Aust conceded his client did leave his cell and was, at one point, on the roof of the facility.

“He was not in the cell block where he was supposed to be,” he said.

“There is an assertion that people smashed cells, there’s no evidence that he was one of the smashees.”

However, prosecutor Rebecca Everitt said Bradshaw could be identified in the statement of alleged facts as committing offences during the riot.

“That conduct in a general sense does identify Mr Bradshaw,” she said.

“The assault of the corrections officer is specifically attributable to Mr Bradshaw.”

The court heard there would be about 10 terabytes of CCTV footage tendered as evidence as a part of the prosecution’s case.

“It’s going to be very hard to negotiate outcomes,” Mr Aust said.

“There’s a number of different types of rioting charges.”

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Judge Greg Macdonald denied the bail application, saying he would not be prepared to release Bradshaw before hearing more of the evidence.

“He wasn’t a prime mover but he was certainly out and about,” Mr Macdonald said.

The matter will return to court on August 19.

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