Union wants jail for officer assaults
THE WA Prison Officer's Union wants magistrates and judges to increase jail terms for prisoners who assault prison officers.
The call comes after a man who punched a prison officer to the head avoided being jailed and was given a fine.
Brodie Donald Thompson, was found guilty of assaulting the officer at the end of a half-day trial in the Bunbury Magistrate's Court last week.
He was found not guilty of another charge of assaulting a public officer.
Thompson punched Bunbury Prison officer Nigel Down about 1.30pm on April 1 while he was serving a three-year jail term for another offence.
Magistrate Andrew Maughan fined Thompson $3500 and did not agree with the request from a police prosecutor to add more time to his jail term.
WA Prison Officer's Union secretary John Welch said he hoped prisoners who assaulted officers would be jailed, but accepted it was the court's decision.
"All prisons, because of the level of overcrowding, have a high level of risk," he said.
"Bunbury is no different than any other overcrowded prison in our system."
The incident began after Thompson became angry while talking to his girlfriend on a prison phone.
He then refused to follow the instructions of the officers to follow them to the prison's main office.
Thompson instead headed to his cell and then punched Mr Down to the head.
Mr Down did not receive serious injuries.
During Thompson's sentencing on Friday, police prosecutor Sgt Brian McCormack said the offender should serve more time in jail for the assault.
Sgt McCormack said the sentence should be imposed to serve as a deterrent to Thompson and the rest of the prison community.
"This sort of behaviour can't be tolerated," Sgt McCormack said.
Mr Maughan instead fined Thompson $3500 and ordered $1500 of that should be paid to Mr Down.
He said it was fortunate Mr Down did not suffer "serious" effects from the punch.
Mr Maughan suggested another offence may harm Thompson's chance of parole.
Thompson has served 18 months of his jail term and the sentence for the assault will not affect his chances of being released from prison early.
