Cameron Thomas Twaddle in court for riot at Capricornia Correctional Centre

A man involved in a Central Queensland prison riot involving 100 prisoners rode a ride-on mower, sniffed petrol and played the ukulele, a court has heard.

Cameron Thomas Twaddle.

A man involved in a Central Queensland prison riot involving 100 prisoners rode a ride-on mower, sniffed petrol and played the ukulele, a court has heard.

Cameron Thomas Twaddle, 32, was a prisoner at Capricornia Correctional Centre when a riot occurred on October 21, 2021 that lasted 18 hours, caused about $1.2 million worth of damage and saw 64 prisoners charged.

The District Court in Rockhampton heard Twaddle had been sentenced in the Rockhampton Magistrates Court on February 8, 2021 to two years prison with parole eligibility on September 10, 2021 and hadn’t been granted parole at the time of the riot.

The court heard Twaddle and other prisoners became angry a lockdown was called that stopped elders from Woorabinda being able to visit.

Capricornia Correctional Centre, north of Rockhampton.

Crown prosecutor Ken Spinaze said Twaddle participated in the riot, striking a wall that was holding up telephone booths and was with other prisoners who smashed a security door to a residential unit, allowing others to join in.

Twaddle rode a ride-on mower, spoke into a stolen megaphone, drank from stolen cans of soft drink and water bottles, played the ukulele and sniffed petrol, the court heard.

Mr Spinaze said Twaddle also walked around armed with a pickaxe and shovel.

He said Twaddle was on the roof of the activities centre with other prisoners and voluntarily surrendered at midnight.

Damaged caused to the Capricornia Correctional Centre during the October 2021 riots.

Defence barrister Rachel Hew said her client participated in the riot because “he felt aggrieved by the prison mucking the Woorabinda elders around who had come to visit”. “The elders had travelled to Capricornia from Woorabinda the day before and had been turned away and Mr Twaddle felt a sense of grievance about that,” she said.

“He does regret his participation in the riot.

“He didn’t injure anyone or issue any threats.

Damaged caused to the Capricornia Correctional Centre during the October 2021 riots.

“Unlike other prisoners, he did not hide his identity and he did surrender.”

Ms Hew said her client had spent 736 days in continuous custody and had not committed any further offences since the riot offence in October 2021.

“He has taken steps towards his rehabilitation since his release, he has complied with bail, he has engaged with Max Employment to gain employment,” she said.

She said her client lived in Woorabinda where he cared for his new baby who had “high medical needs”.

Damaged caused to the Capricornia Correctional Centre during the October 2021 riots.

Twaddle pleaded guilty to one count of riot.

Judge Jeff Clarke sentenced him to 12 months prison, which was suspended for an operational period of two years after he served nine days, which was declared as time already served.

The sentence was cumulative of the February 2021 sentence.

Originally published as Cameron Thomas Twaddle in court for riot at Capricornia Correctional Centre