A 41-year-old man was sentenced to six months’ jail yesterday (13 December) after pleading guilty to assaulting a SERCO guard and damaging property at Yongah Hill Immigration Detention Centre.
The man threw computer monitors, keyboards and other items around a room – causing $8000 damage – at the detention centre in October after being told he had to wait to speak to a manager.
Police alleged that when Emergency Response Team Officers tried to move the man to another accommodation area, he punched a guard in the face, causing swelling, cuts and bruises.
The 41-year-old was charged on 22 October with:
- one count of cause harm to a Commonwealth Public Official, contrary to section 147.1 of the Criminal Code (Cth) 1995;
- one count of causing damage to Commonwealth property, contrary to section 132.8A of the Criminal Code (Cth) 1995.
He pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced yesterday in Perth Magistrates Court to six months imprisonment, to serve three months.
The sentence was backdated to his arrest.
