Dallas John Eaves pleads guilty to unlawfully setting fire to property inside Risdon Prison

A serial firebug held on remand at Risdon Prison used fittings and fixtures in his cell to set his mattress on fire and cause more than $14,000 damage.

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A SERIAL firebug used a clock radio inside Risdon Prison to light his mattress on fire while he hung his head over the toilet to escape the smoke, a court has heard.

In the Supreme Court of Tasmania in Hobart before Justice Michael Brett on Friday, Dallas John Eaves pleaded guilty to unlawfully setting fire to property.

On May 28, 2019, at Risdon Prison, Eaves set fire to articles of clothing, a mattress and blankets which were property of the Justice Department.

The court heard Eaves, who was 31 at the time, was being held on remand and was in a cell within the maximum security unit.

The prison was in lockdown and all inmates were confined to their cells.

The prosecutor said Eaves piled up some items of clothing and blankets onto his mattress and pulled apart a clock radio, using the wires to start a fire.

A code red was issued at Risdon Prison due to the fire lit by Eaves.

Smoke alarms went off and a code red was issued at the prison.

The court heard the amount of smoke meant Eaves could not be seen by correctional officers when they went to get him out of the cell.

Eaves was taken to the Royal Hobart Hospital and three officers were taken to Calvary to be treated for smoke inhalation.

In a subsequent police interview, Eaves said he had told correctional officers he did not want to go into the cell and wanted to transfer to the crisis support unit.

He told police setting the fire was his “last option” and he put his face over the toilet with his jumper over his head to try escape the smoke.

The court heard there was significant damage done to the cell including the ventilation system and the total cost for repairs was approximately $14,300.

The cells immediately adjacent were occupied at the time, putting others at risk, the prosecutor argued.

Eaves is currently serving a term of imprisonment, with an earliest release date of February 20, 2021.

The court heard he had a number of relevant prior convictions, including previous charges of unlawfully setting fire to property including in 2010 when he was sentenced for a similar incident of setting a fire while in custody.

The cost to the department in that case was $116,000.

In 2015, he was also sentenced to two years in prison for causing grievous bodily harm, stealing and assault.

Defence lawyer Rochelle Mainwaring said a psychological assessment had been ordered for Eaves.

The case was adjourned until December 7.