Nemesis
03-31-2004, 08:05 PM
By Graeme Webber
April 1, 2004
Long Bay jail authorities had ignored one inmate's threat to kill another if they were placed in a cell together, the NSW opposition said today.
Prison officers also took at least 20 minutes to respond to distress calls from 24-year-old Craig Anthony Behr, who was murdered in his cell last Saturday, Opposition justice spokesman Andrew Humpherson said.
Behr was a high-risk inmate serving a sentence in Long Bay for sexual assault and break and enter.
Mr Humpherson told reporters said the suspect was also a mental patient who had threatened to kill Behr just two hours before the murder.
"He (the suspect) said if you place him in the cell with me, I will kill him," he said.
"Around midday a neighbouring cell mate heard a number of thuds and screams and rang the emergency cell call system twice.
"Staff ignored the threat and worse still, other inmates sought to raise the alarm while the bashing was occurring and the alarms were not responded to for 20 minutes."
The suspect, who cannot be named, was on remand for armed robbery offences.
The opposition has referred the death to the NSW coroner and called for a public explanation of Behr's death.
Mr Humpherson said the incident was a catastrophic and appalling failure of the prison system.
"A killing was underway and staff did not respond for 20 minutes," he said.
"Any offender given a prison (term) through our justice system in NSW is not given a death sentence."
AAP
http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,9155903%255E1702,00.html
April 1, 2004
Long Bay jail authorities had ignored one inmate's threat to kill another if they were placed in a cell together, the NSW opposition said today.
Prison officers also took at least 20 minutes to respond to distress calls from 24-year-old Craig Anthony Behr, who was murdered in his cell last Saturday, Opposition justice spokesman Andrew Humpherson said.
Behr was a high-risk inmate serving a sentence in Long Bay for sexual assault and break and enter.
Mr Humpherson told reporters said the suspect was also a mental patient who had threatened to kill Behr just two hours before the murder.
"He (the suspect) said if you place him in the cell with me, I will kill him," he said.
"Around midday a neighbouring cell mate heard a number of thuds and screams and rang the emergency cell call system twice.
"Staff ignored the threat and worse still, other inmates sought to raise the alarm while the bashing was occurring and the alarms were not responded to for 20 minutes."
The suspect, who cannot be named, was on remand for armed robbery offences.
The opposition has referred the death to the NSW coroner and called for a public explanation of Behr's death.
Mr Humpherson said the incident was a catastrophic and appalling failure of the prison system.
"A killing was underway and staff did not respond for 20 minutes," he said.
"Any offender given a prison (term) through our justice system in NSW is not given a death sentence."
AAP
http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,9155903%255E1702,00.html