‘Too Many Prisoners, Too Few Staff At Mt. Eden’

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30125, 8 May 1963, Page 22

‘Too Many Prisoners, Too Few Staff At Mt. Eden’

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, May 7. Because the Auckland Prison was overcrowded and understaffed it was not “entirely satisfactory” from the maximum security point of view, the Crown Prosecutor, Mr R. L. Maclaren, said in the Magistrate’s Court at Auckland. Before the Court was Kenneth Rex Brasell, aged 25, a rigger, Who pleaded guilty to four charges of assault on officers at the prison. He

was given an extra six months in prison by Mr M. C. Astley, S.M. Mr Maclaren said the prison officers worked in very difficult conditions and assaults such as those done by Brasell could lead to “explosive” results. Brasell was sentenced to four years and a half in gaol for various offences in June, 1961, he said. The first assault was on April 2 on an elderly prison officer named Askin who told Brasell he would be put on the superintendent’s report for punishment for threatening to throw him over the rail of the landing when he had been asked to hurry. Brasell struck Askin several times and was pulled away by two other inmates Askin had been off duty with concussion since the attack. On April 10 Brasell struck Officer Cavanagh “suddenly and without any provocation.” When Cavanagh fell to the ground Brasell began to kick him and Officers Daniels and Mulu went to his aid, Mr Maclaren said. Brasell assaulted both of these officers as well, kicking them in the groin and kidneys. Brasell had 16 previous convictions, including one for assaulting a policeman. “There could hardly be a worse case of this kind,” said the Magistrate. He ordered that the sentence of six months’ gaol should begin when Brasell finished his present term.