Dwayne John Small sentenced for assaulting 21 corrective service officers by spitting, biting, throwing poop

A man who assaulted 21 different correctional service officers across Qld prisons by throwing his bodily fluids at them, has lashed out mid-sentence.

Corrections officers at multiple prisons have been the target of Small

A man who originally jailed for the attempted rape of a stranger and has been in prison ever since, has now been sentenced for the disgusting assaults of 21 different corrective service officers.

Dwayne John Small appeared by video link in Townsville District Court, and at one point caused a break in his sentence as he started to interject the crown prosecutor, yelling, and accusing her of “colouring in” the facts.

The court was adjourned briefly for the 47-year-old’s lawyer to talk with him, and when it resumed he was surrounded by three officers wearing protective gear.

Crown prosecutor Monique Sheppard said the assaults occurred over a six and a half year period, across Townsville, Capricornia, Woodford and Wolston Correctional Centres.

The most serious of his assaults was when he covered the camera in his cell before flooding it with water and faeces which spread to the corridor of the prison.

He then “scooped a cup” of the liquid and threw it through the vent of his cell door at prison officers, which landed on their hair, back, neck and chest areas.

The Townsville Correctional Centre. Picture: Evan Morgan

In separate offending, while a prison officer was collecting rubbish from cells, Small filled a milk carton with faeces and threw it at the officer and said “I have more”.

“There was no interactions in a physical sense, (the officer) was simply collecting rubbish,” Ms Sheppard said.

“It had a significant impact on that (officer). It resulted in a breakdown of his marriage. It was a senseless and disgusting act.”

Other instances of Small assaulting officers included him grabbing one by the neck and punching them in the face, as well as biting other officers on the arms.

One officer was providing Small with a meal before he threw a cup of “excrement” at the officer when he had his back turned, and on another occasion it was during a medical check with nurses that the man threw urine at officers in the room.

Adding to the extensive list of serious assaults, he bit an officer and said he had hepatitis C.

Ms Sheppard detailed the man’s “appalling” criminal history and told the court how he was originally imprisoned to five years for attempting to rape a 67-year-old stranger, and hasn’t been released since.

Inside the Capricornia Correctional Centre

“It’s hard to think of a worse example whereby conduct repeatedly occurs deliberately in a premeditated way,” she said.

“While in the community there is a real danger he will continue to offend.”

Defence barrister Carl Tessmann said his client suffered a “prejudicial” upbringing as he never knew his father, his sister died and his mother struggled with substance abuse.

The lawyer also told the court Small suffered a head injury at the age of 10.

“It’s unsurprising from the restrictive conditions of the maximum security unit that he’s engaged in this behaviour,” Mr Tessmann said.

When the man is released, his lawyer said he has housing available in south east Queensland.

When Judge John Coker began his sentence, Small apologised for the “outburst”.

His Honour highlighted the “psychological” damage done within the victim’s lives after the assaults, as he heard many of their relationships had broken down or they had quit their jobs.

Small pleaded guilty to 29 offences which included serious assault of corrective service officers, common assault and wilful damage.

He was sentenced to 1746 days jail, with that time being declared as already served and given an immediate parole release date – it was noted he still had charges to be finalised in magistrates court on Wednesday and would not be free until then.

Originally published as Dwayne John Small sentenced for assaulting 21 corrective service officers by spitting, biting, throwing poop