Killer’s brazen acts during prison riot
A man awaiting sentence for his role in a fatal pub fight flooded a prison during a riot where a washing machine was thrown through a window and more than $21,000 worth of damage was caused, a court has been told.
Kye Enright, 25, was previously jailed in May 2022 for the manslaughter of Paul Rock, 53, after a drug deal gone wrong in a pub carpark in Plainlands, west of Brisbane, in July 2019.
The altercation lasted about 45 seconds and cost Mr Rock his life.
While on remand for the offence, Enright was involved in a riot at Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre in Wacol on September 15, 2020.
The one-hour riot caused $21,732 in damage after electronic equipment was destroyed with water and glass shattered.
Appearing via video link in his prison green uniform, Enright pleaded guilty in Brisbane District Court on Wednesday to one count of riot causing property damage.
The court was told Enright and his three co-accused, Jayke John Dempsey-Mitchell, Aaron Wayne Stout and Steven Michael Campbell, had caused an hour-long riot in the day room of the remand centre.
The Crown prosecutor said while Enright didn’t organise the riot, he was “quite an active player” by causing damage to property within an office.
During his sentencing remarks, Judge Gardiner said the correctional supervisor had issued a code black for the prison after the four men blocked the entry to their “accommodation”, preventing officers from entering.
“You threw a metal tray at the officers’ station,” Judge Gardiner said.
“You helped Stout to move the fire hose inside the day room and sprayed the officer’s station through a card slot used to hand over documents.
“Water flooded over the officers’ desk and electronic equipment.”
The court was told Campbell then shattered a basin using a heavy object hidden in a pillow case that caused water to leak over the floor.
Judge Gardiner said a window to the laundry was also smashed during the riot, which allowed Stout to climb through to cause further damage.
“Once inside (Stout) removed a washing machine and passed it through to Campbell and Dempsey-Mitchell and that was thrown against a window,” he said.
The riot ended after tactical response officers gained entry and cleared the common area.
The court was told Enright had a shirt tied around his face, covering the lower half to prevent identity, but was later identified on CCTV.
Enright’s defence barrister, Matthew Hynes KC, said his client had a terrible drug addiction but had since undergone “12 wellness courses” while in jail.
“All of his offending has stemmed from that,” Mr Hynes said.
Judge Gardiner sentenced Enright to 12 months in jail that will run cumulatively with his other sentence of eight years for Mr Rock’s manslaughter.
“Your offending is limited in the sense that you’re not the leader of this; however, you did throw a metal tray towards the officers’ station and did assist in bringing the fire hose into the day room causing damage,” Judge Gardiner said.
The court was told Campbell, Dempsey-Mitchell and Stout had previously been sentenced to 12 months in jail for their involvement in the prison riot.
Their offending was part of a string of riots between August 31 and September 16 at the facility after inmates were locked in their cells for prolonged periods during a stage 4 Covid lockdown in September 2020.
Police later charged nine people, including Enright, Campbell, Dempsey-Mitchell and Stout, for various offences during the rioting.
The lockdowns were ordered after prison officers contracted the virus.
Meanwhile, Enright and his co-accused Beau Andrew John Smith ultimately received jail terms of eight and nine years respectively for manslaughter.
The court was told during the May 2022 sentencing that the two men had been acting as couriers for a drug dealer who was in touch with Mr Rock, who was getting angry about obtaining a significant quantity of the drug ice.
During their meeting, a fight broke out between the three and Mr Rock was fatally stabbed.
