The first inmate to plead guilty over the state’s largest prison riot has had two years added to his existing jail term.
The County Court last month heard damage valued at $12 million was caused to the Metropolitan Remand Centre at Ravenhall when about 200 prisoners protested the introduction of a ban on smoking.
During the riot, which lasted more than 15 hours, inmates brandished poles, lit fires and damaged equipment and fixtures in the centre.
Johnathon Luca, 22, was the first person to plead guilty over the riot, and was last month sentenced to two years and five months for his involvement in what was called “anarchy”.
Luca was being held in remand at the MRC for several offences, including recklessly causing injury and criminal damages, when he joined in the violent protests on June 30, 2015.
The court heard Luca took part in the riot between 12.09pm and 2.46pm. He covered his face by wearing a black coloured t-shirt over his head. He then helped two other prisoners cover their faces, and was part of the first contingent of inmates to enter the central movement control building, where he smashed glass security windows.
Luca was involved in looting the canteen, arming himself with a pole to smash several windows in a prison unit, and driving an electric tug vehicle along fence lines.
About two weeks after the incident, Luca penned a letter to his partner while in lockdown saying the “whole joint is smashed to bits”.
Judge Peter Kidd said while he accepted Luca was not a riot ringleader and was not directly involved in all the damage that occurred, he quickly joined as the riot gained momentum.
“Your wholehearted embrace of the riot is evidenced by your placement of the disguise over your face,” Judge Kidd said.
“In my view, this was an attempt to achieve anonymity and represented a clear intention by you to behave in a riotous behaviour.”
Luca would have been eligible for parole in April next year, but will now spend at least one more year behind bars.
About 100 inmates have been charged over the riots last year.
