THE BRUCE BRAGG
BASHING
On 28th January 1985, prisoner
Bruce Bragg was bashed in his cell in 3 Wing while he slept. There were two
major times when a prisoner became vulnerable against attack, while showering
was normally the number one in maximum security prisons which had almost been
eliminated at Parklea due to every cell having its own shower allowing the
prisoners to safely shower after lock in. The second was being asleep in bed
after the cell doors are opened in the morning. This is what happened to Bruce
Bragg.
I was rostered 3 Wing Commander on
that day and it was a public holiday. Bill Bailey was rostered Watch Commander.
The Officers paraded at 06.00 hours and went directly to their post. Shortly
afterwards the Wing Officers commenced the let go and at the same time they did
a head count. Mr Alan Pitt was the First
Class Prison Officer in charge of 3 Wing bottom floor and Mr Scott, a baggy
arse, was his offsider. I remained on the compound with Mr Bailey, the Deputy
Superintendent Ken Jones, and Assistant Superintendent Noel Lenham, waiting for
all of the Wing Officers to report the correctness or otherwise of their posts to
Mr Bailey.
Mr Bailey had received the reports
from all Wing Officers. We had turned and were heading back to the Watch Commander’s
office when I heard something that drew my attention. I turned, facing back towards 3 Wing where I
saw a prisoner running towards us, completely naked. At that stage I did not
recognise who it was, I simply thought it was some flip being stupid. Mr Bailey
was still walking towards his office when I said, “Hey Bill have a look at the
cock on this thing”. We were both
laughing our heads off and as Bragg came closer we could see he was bleeding
profusely. I enquired, “What happened to you?” Bragg replied, “I fell out of
bed”. That was code for ‘I have just been assaulted and I’m not telling you
anymore than that’.
Mr Bailey escorted Bragg to the
clinic and I went to 3 Wing to attempt to ascertain what had occurred. Mr Pitt and Mr Scott were at a loss and they
genuinely had no idea what had occurred. I went to the cell occupied by Bragg
to see it covered in blood. Had I not
seen Bragg running naked towards me, I would have expected someone had been
murdered in the cell. I locked the cell
in order to protect the crime scene and reported back to Mr Bailey who was
still in the clinic with Bragg, now being attended to by Sister Brown. I advised Mr. Bailey of how I found the
condition of Bragg’s cell.
Although violent critical incidents
such as this are common occurrences in Maximum Security prisons, I wasn’t to
know how six months later this incident was in part responsible for changing my
entire life. To find out more of what
occurred within the Bragg bashing and how it affected the rest of my life, read
my best selling eBook, “It’s all in the Fall’, available through this website
or Amazon.
This I believe.
Peter T Egge
Aerial view of Parklea Prison – 1983
