Meet a third striker

Stead Nuku has become a third striker. Is he some poor shoplifter being given a disproportionate sentence? Let’s look at his case.

Strike 1 – assaulted a prisoner in the exercise yard. As the victim was lying on the ground, he kicked him. He then wrenched his arm in an arm lock, causing it to break. He also tried, unsuccessfully, to break his legs and other arm.

Strike 2 – assaulted prison officers with sharpened implements.

Strike 3/1 – approached another prisoner from behind with a large metal
shank, hidden in cloth. Used this to strike the victim to the head. Victim suffered five lacerations to his head, ranging from one to four centimetres in size.

Strike 3/2 –  approached another prisoner from behind with metal shank. Stabbed the victim with it repeatedly. Stabbed the victim not fewer
than 12 times. Inflicted seven wounds to his back; four to his arm; and one behind his ear.

The three strikes law means for his third strike he gets seven years without parole. The Judge says otherwise he would have got five years and one month and a non parole period of three years and five months.

As it happens both sentences are trumped by the fact he got preventive detention, so is indefinitely jailed until he is deemed safe (but thanks to three strikes no less than seven years away). That is because this 26 year old has a massive 68 convictions as an adult (and five before that).  17 of the 68 convictions are for violence.

So it isn’t three strikes and you’re out, but 17 strikes.

The Judge notes:

You said you had wanted to be a “lifer” since the age of 18, and you admired prisoners who frightened other prisoners and guards. You said when you commit an offence of violence, you intend to cause the
victim “maximum damage”. You said also you owe “love and loyalty” to the Killer Beez gang.

Sounds like a poster child for why we should relax the bail and parole laws, eh!