Lawrence Smith/Stuff
The accused allegedly assaulted two inmates while working at a kitchen at the Serco-run Kohuora Auckland South Corrections Facility in Wiri on December 21.
A 47-year-old man charged with the murder of a prisoner at an Auckland prison has been granted interim name suppression.
The accused allegedly assaulted two inmates while working in a kitchen at the Serco-run Kohuora Auckland South Corrections Facility in Wiri last week.
A prisoner died at the scene and another was injured after being stabbed in the kitchen of the men’s prison.
The accused appeared via audiovisual link in the Manukau District Court on Friday.
Lawrence Smith/Stuff
The high-security prison, privately run by Serco, went under lockdown after the incident last week.
The name suppression request by the accused’s lawyer was not opposed by the victim’s family.
Both the accused and the victim were granted suppression of name and summary of facts until the next appearance of the accused.
The other injured prisoner remains in a serious, but stable condition in hospital.
In a statement to Stuff earlier, Corrections national commissioner Leigh Marsh said assaults in prison would not be tolerated. “We expect prisoners who resort to violence to be held to account.”
The high-security prison, privately run by Serco, was opened in 2015 on Kiwi Tamaki Rd in Wiri.
Serco had confirmed that both staff and prisoners were being provided support.
Corrections Association president Floyd du Plessis earlier told Stuff the prison was placed in lockdown and there was no communication in or out.
The lockdown stops movement and communications in or out, du Plessis said.
The prison held up to 960 sentenced prisoners.
The date of the accused’s next High Court appearance was not decided.
