Darwin prison officers use of force likely ‘triggered’ grandfather Wayne Hunt’s violent post-seizure reaction

A leading epilepsy expert has warned prison officers’ use of force likely triggered a Territory grandfather’s violent post-seizure state. WARNING: Distressing.

Prison officers who pinned down, handcuffed and put an epileptic man in a spit hood likely caused his aggressive reaction while in a confused post-seizure state, the coroner has heard.

A beloved 56-year-old grandfather, Wayne Hunt died three days after he suffered a seizure while in his cell at Darwin Correctional Centre on August 29, 2024.

His death in custody inquest has repeatedly heard Corrections Officers called to the Code Blue medical emergency treated Mr Hunt’s agitated post-seizure state as a ‘behavioural issue’.

Counsel assisting the coroner Mary Chalmers said the use of force by prison guards “triggered” his erratic response, setting in motion a chain of events that would leave him being left bleeding, naked, and without appropriate medical care in an ‘at risk’ cell.

Coroner Elisabeth Armitage heard following his seizure, Mr Hunt was restrained to the ground, sedated, handcuffed, strapped to a wheelchair and bound in a spit hood and taken to a cell designed for mental health observation.

Multiple medical experts told coroner Elisabeth Armitage following a seizure, a ‘postictal phase’ could leave a patient unusually drowsy, disorientated or even aggressive for up to two hours.

The prison doctor — who cannot be identified — said a violent postictal phase was one of the most common reactions to a seizure behind bars, with some guards saying they had responded to incidents where some patients “came out swinging”.

But one of the nation’s leading epilepsy specialists, Professor Christian Gericke said it was more likely prison workers were causing the violent responses, stating an aggressive postictal phase was a “very rare phenomenon”.

Professor Gericke said it was more likely confused patients like Mr Hunt were reacting involuntarily to the use of force by guards.

“I don’t think he had postictal aggression, he was just responding to the restraints,” the epileptologist told the coroner.

Coroner Elisabeth Armitage outside Darwin Local Court. Picture: Zizi Averill

Ms Armitage said she suspected what the body camera footage revealed was Mr Hunt’s “postictal confusion being managed very poorly, and there being non-intentional resistance to poor management”.

Indeed Professor Gericke said while cellmate and friend, Ian Bennett, tried to hold him in a recovery position and calm him down, “things went pear shaped” when Corrections Officers arrived.

He said by the time officers arrived, Mr Hunt’s seizure had ended, meaning “there was no need to force him into a recovery position, leaning on him”.

He was critical of the two prison nurses who stood “like a bystander” as prison guards used escalating levels of force.

“If it was any other state they would have said ‘look this patient is confused, you need to treat him gently, you’re only making this worse’,” Professor Gericke said.

The inquest heard during transport, Mr Hunt did not have a nurse with him for 15 minutes, including a six minute and 40 second period where he was in a spit hood.

Professor Gericke said the use of restraint — particularly the handcuffs and spithood — were not appropriate to use on a post-seizure patient in a medical setting.

“From a medical perspective, putting on a spit hood is dangerous because you can’t see what is happening underneath it,” he said.

“(And) he didn’t really seem to be spitting at them, if anything he was grunting and growling the whole time because of the restraints, and bleeding from his handcuffs.”

Territory grandfather Wayne Hunt died on August 31, 2024 after his post-seizure behaviour was mistaken for non-compliance at Darwin Correctional Centre. Picture: Supplied

Royal Darwin Hospital consultant neurologist Alvaro Cervera said it was even possible the stress of being restrained in his confused state contributed to the catastrophic brain bleed.

Dr Cervera said CCTV of Mr Hunt’s movements gave clues to the invisible devastation occuring in his brain.

The expert identified limited movement Mr Hunt’s left side as he struggled to move in his sedated, post-seizure state.

Dr Cervera said while he could not be certain — due to the lack of medical observations recorded — it was likely Mr Hunt suffered a seizure, went into the aggressive post-seizure state, recovered and then suffered his stroke.

While it would have been better to have Mr Hunt at the hospital, the neurologist flagged even that may not have been enough to save his life.

Forensic pathologist Salona Roopan confirmed Mr Hunt died three days later from a significant brain bleed and a large blood clot.

Dr Cervera said greater seizure response education and planning was needed to avoid a repeat of Mr Hunt’s treatment by prison workers, with none of the Corrections Officers ever receiving specific seizure training.

But he added there were insufficient specialist health workers to meet the level of needs across the Territory.

He said he was one of only two neurology consultants for the Top End, while Central Australia was serviced by visiting specialists from Flinders medical centre.

“I don’t think we have enough doctors there. The waiting list that we have is extremely long, not only in public but also in private,” he said.

“But we do the best that we can.”

The inquest continues.

Originally published as Darwin prison officers use of force likely ‘triggered’ grandfather Wayne Hunt’s violent post-seizure reaction