The Northern Territory news Thu 11 Jun 2020
NT news
The Northern Territory news; NewspaperNT
2020-06-11
English
Community newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Darwin.; Australian newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Darwin.
News Corp Australia
Darwin
application/pdf
Copyright. Made available by the publisher under licence.
News Corp Australia
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2019C00042
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/803411
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/803586
THURSDAY JUNE 11 2020 NEWS 07 V1 - NTNE01Z01MA A CONVICTED murderer with a long history of causing disturbances and a man who had previously escaped from custody were instigators in the riot that caused tens of millions of dollars in damage at the Darwin prison last month. The NT News can reveal murderer Matej Matt Vanko and Aaron Hyde jailed in 2016 over an ice-fuelled crime spree that ended in a fatal crash were among 21 prisoners who armed themselves, left their cells and set fire to parts of the jail on May 13. Their involvement has Killer fuelled prison riot MATT CUNNINGHAM Sky News raised questions about why dangerous prisoners with a history of escaping and causing disturbances were being held in the prisons medium security cottages. Vanko convicted over the gruesome murder of Donald Stevens and kidnapping of Noelene Stevens in Darwins rural area in 2012 led a riot at the Alice Springs Correctional Centre in July 2016. That incident saw eight prisoners assault other inmates then climb on to the jails roof on the same day former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called a Royal Commission into the NTs youth justice system. Vanko had been moved to Alice Springs after he bashed fellow inmate Daniel Camilleri at the Darwin prison in 2015. He was moved back to Darwin following the 2016 riot. Hyde jailed for the 2015 crash that killed his 18-yearold friend Ashley Richards escaped from custody in April 2018 while being escorted in handcuffs from Royal Darwin Hospital. He then stole a car and drove it erratically through Palmerston at speeds of up to 90 km/h while still handcuffed. During a hearing over his escape, the NT Supreme Court was told Hyde had been traumatised by his time at the Don Dale Youth Detention Centre and he had not been provided appropriate grief counselling while in prison. Prison sources said Hyde had instead been paired with Vanko who had been given an unofficial role as his mentor. The Department of Attorney General and Justice did not directly answer questions about Vanko and Hydes roles in the riot, or whether it was appropriate for a convicted murderer such as Vanko to be mentoring a younger prisoner. Northern Territory Correctional Services do not comment on any individual prisoner or divulge operational security matters, the depart ment said. But prison officers who spoke on the condition of anonymity said they had serious concerns about how dangerous prisoners were being managed. There is no way these blokes should have been in medium security, but thats where they put them and look at what happened, one source said. Attorney General Natasha Fyles said it was not reasonable for an inmate to be held in high security for their entire term. We cant simply take someone from being a high-security prisoner and simply downgrade them to exit, she said. There is processes they go through and it is not uncommon for an individual to go up and down that classification scale. Ms Fyles has ordered an independent review into the May riot, as well as a separate review into the prisons security issues. The damage bill from the riot has been estimated at more than $30 million. The prisoners were moved into the high security unit following the riot, but Hyde again managed to escape from his cell last Thursday and climb on to the jails roof. Police are expected to lay charges over the riot as soon as this week. Neuron Mobility boss Zachary Wang with the eScooters Picture: CHE CHORLEY Scoot down to Mindil for the sunset WILL ZWAR Council Reporter ESCOOTERS will soon be buzzing to East Point, Mindil Beach Casino and the George Brown Botanic Gardens as the Darwin council program expands. Council innovation, growth and development manager Josh Sattler said at the halfway mark of the trial next month, riders would be able to enjoy the sunset from Mindil Beach on the orange Neuron scooters. Neuron are presenting on the expansion of phase one to the working group next month to include the Botanic Gardens, Mindil Beach and Casino, he said. Future expansion to East Point will be assessed in the following phase. Mr Sattler said the expansion would be accompanied by a larger eScooter fleet. Neuron is currently running 250 eScooters and are looking to increase the fleet to 350 in readiness, he said. Parts of Mitchell St, the Waterfront and Carey St have already been added to the eScooters range due to resident demand. Indigenous call coming AUSTRALIANS will have a say on an indigenous voice within months. Indigenous minister Ken Wyatt says the mechanism would put Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at the centre of decisions. Were confident that the Australian people will be able to have their say on an indigenous voice this year. Were progressing work and every Australian who wants to have a say will be able to have a say, he said. Gosling slams cattle decision appeal SOLOMON MP Luke Gosling has blasted the Federal Government for considering an appeal of a court ruling to award the cattle industry compensation, despite his own party making the decision in 2011. Last week the Federal Court ruled in favour of a class action seeking $600 million for lost income after a ban on live cattle exports to Indonesia. Attorney-General Christian Porter told a joint Coalition party room meeting the Commonwealth planned an appeal. Mr Gosling said yesterday: Why would the Federal Government be now appealing the High Courts decision that said those families and those companies out on the land were so badly affected by the snap ban? What do you not get? Baby girl found dead in Katherine NT Police are investigating the death of a four-month-old girl at a residence in Katherine on Sunday about 10am. Police are not treating the death as suspicious and are waiting on autopsy results.