A PRISONER has claimed he bashed another inmate at the Junee Correctional Centre because the victim was a paedophile who was boasting about how he would do things differently when released.
Shaun Patrick Hanrahan, 26, made the claim in Wagga Local Court after pleading guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
“He is a paedophile miss,” Hanrahan told magistrate Erin Kennedy.
“So you decided to take the law into your own hands,” Ms Kennedy replied with disapproval.
Hanrahan sought to defend his violence.
“I am a father myself, so I thought I would do it (assault the inmate) myself.”
Hanrahan, an armed robber and carjacker not due for release until December 14, 2017, at the earliest, pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.
“I’m not going to waste anyone’s time,” he said. “It’s on camera, I did it. It’s clean and cut. I want to get it (sentencing) out of the way, if I am to do more time or not.”
Ms Kennedy, however, declined to sentence Hanrahan on the spot because police facts tendered to the court omitted details of the victim’s injuries.
Hanrahan was willing to fill in the blanks.
“Lacerations to the head,” he said.
“He received stitches to four parts of his head, including sewing part of his ear back on.”
Ms Kennedy adjourned the case to give authorities time to provide an official report on the victim’s injuries.
The police facts said the attack happened in the Junee Correctional Centre’s C pod just after 5pm on April 12.
Giving an account from CCTV footage that captured the attack, police said the victim and three other inmates were playing cards at a table while Hanrahan swept the floor.
Hanrahan removed the broom head from the handle and held it in both hands above the victim’s head.
“The accused use all his upper body strength to swing the broom head into the right side of the victim’s head,” the facts said. Hanrahan hit the other man again before going back to his cell.
Interviewed by police, Hanrahan said: “Maybe when he gets out he will think better next time.”
