EXTRACT FROM “CUTTING THE BARS – VOLUME 2”

THE TALL MAN

I was one of the shortest prison officers in stature when I joined the New South Wales Department of Corrective Services in May 1971, standing at only five foot eight and a half inches, as people were measured back during that time.   I was only in the job a few weeks when I first saw Robert (Bob) Dyson.   I remember thinking to myself, ‘he has to be the tallest man in the world’.

Mr Dyson looked impressive in his uniform.  He was a First Class Prison Officer wearing two stripes on the right sleeve of his dark navy blue, almost black tunic.   He stood so straight I was mesmerised, and I did not dare speak to him because he was a First Class Prison Officer and I was just a lowly “baggy arse”, the ink hadn’t dried on my papers yet as I was often reminded in those early days.

Mr Dyson was born in 1940 at Marrickville in Sydney NSW, just one year into the Second World War.   My Dad, Leonard Egge, was brought up in the suburb of Enmore being in the same area of Marrickville.   Mr Dyson, like most prison officers of that time, had a public school education and left school very close to his fifteenth birthday.   Luck was on his side when he gained an apprenticeship with the Maritime Service Board and became a qualified carpenter and joiner.   He was also a member of the Civilian Military Force (CMF), and served in the 14th Field R.A.A. 2nd Division Provost Corp.

He became a Probationary Prison Officer on 4th February 1966 and graduated in February 1967.  In those days it was just two weeks training under the guidance of senior prison officer Lou Boyd, after which was a case of, “here are your keys, now do your best”.


“Dougal” and 10 Post Tom
On his first set of “B” watches Mr Dyson’s night senior was Senior Prison Officer Clyde Piggott, a man of considerable experience.  There was an old mongrel dog that wondered around the Long Bay prison complex named “Dougal”.  There was nothing special about him, just an old dog that was left to his own devices.   Dougal had free run of the gaol and would come and go as he pleased, in and out of gates and doorways, many of which needed to be opened for him by prison officers.  I imagine he was fed, loved and tolerated by everybody, officers and crims alike.

There were also a large number of cats roaming around especially at night hunting the giant rats that inhabited the drainage system of the prison complex, often said to be as big as a German Sheppard dog.  One old cat was appropriately named “10 post Tom”.  Unbeknown to Mr Dyson, old Dougal was lying behind him when 10 post Tom decided to go for a walk at 0200 hours in the morning.   Without warning and in the still of the night, Dougal leapt to his feet and started to bark.  Mr Dyson, not being used to the prison environment, jumped so high he nearly went over the 30 foot high brick wall.   When his feet finally hit the ground he had to check his underpants to see if he’d had an accident in them.  Only his good wife Liz would know the real answer to that when she did his washing.

RELEASE OF MY NEW BOOK "CUTTING THE BARS - VOLUME 2

I am pleased to announce my new book "Cutting the Bars - Volume 2", is now available through my website, or through Amazon.


There are some great true stories depicting some lighthearted incidents that occurred during my service, as well as some of a more serious nature.   You will also read about a number of Prison Officers who are real characters that I have not written about previously as well as some officer's names you may be familiar with from my previous books, as well as some very dangerous criminals, the likes of which all Prison Officers have to deal with on a daily basis.  


I am sure you will enjoy the photographs and especially the sketches drawn by my good friend and life time mate, Bob Wood.  


I look forward to receiving your feedback via email, should you wish to.


Peter T Egge


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EXTRACT FROM MY BOOK “ITS ALL IN THE FALL”

FREDRICK HAROLD HARBECKE – A COLD KILLER

MADE MY LIST OF HARDEST CRIM

I reported for duty one day whilst working in the hospital and was promptly told my duties had been changed and would remain changed until further notice.

Fred Harbecke had been admitted into the MRP hospital from Grafton intractable section. This simply meant to me Harbecke was one of the top 13 or so prisoners in the state of New South Wales, in other words he was high amongst the worst of the worst. I was to remain with him from 08.00 hours until 17.00 hours every day until he was transferred back to Grafton, meal breaks excluded, at which time I would be relieved by another handpicked officer.


I walked into the observation room in the hospital where Harbecke was locked in and I introduced myself, “My name is Egge, you can call me Mr Egge or Sir I will be here every day until you are moved back to where you came from”. Harbecke replied “Okay Mr Egge” I enquired, “What are you in the hospital for” He replied “I cut my wrist Mr Egge, I just needed a break out of the tracks”.  I looked down at his wrists that were both well bandaged.


Harbecke was a German National who had become a member of the feared French Foreign Legion and as a paratrooper, was a veteran of many campaigns. He had a reputation of being one of a handful of men in the world who could creep up behind a soldier in the desert, slit his throat and crawl away completely unseen.


He came to Australia about 1960.   It wasn’t long before he came under the notice of police and received six years hard labour for cheque fraud. He was a handful for the Prison Department as it was called in the 1960’s right from day one. In 1963 he was caught trying to escape out of his cell when a wedge he had placed in the cell door to prise it open, slipped and his hand was caught.  The pain must have been excruciating yet not a sound came from him. That resulted in his first trip to Grafton.


At Grafton Intractable section Harbecke had met Alan Dillion and James “Jimmy” Thornton. On their release the three men teamed up together and in 1968 shot and killed notorious Kings Cross Madam Helen Paunovic who had turned Police informer.


In addition Harbecke was charged with a second shooting murder that had occurred a few months earlier. Now back in gaol this time sentenced to Penal Servitude for life, he was again caught in the process of trying to escape in December 1968. As could be expected Harbecke was again escorted to Grafton intractable section.


The routine at Grafton Gaol is well documented, it is not a state secret.  On reception the prisoner was belted by four prison officers with rubber batons and everyday following. Legend has it that on this occasion Harbecke had his nose and jaw broken during the reception “biff”. Later in his cell he reset his nose and jaw, yet not a sound was heard during his self manipulation.  He was heard to say “it hurt to eat for a couple of days”.


So there I was in the observation room with this crim who had a reputation larger than life.  I bent down and whispered in his ear so he had to strain to hear what I was saying, “You’re not going to cause me any trouble while you’re here are you Harbecke?  “You won’t like me if you do and I know you know what I mean”.  Harbecke just looked at me with cold eyes that went straight through me and said, “I won’t be any trouble Mr Egge, I just needed a break from being bashed everyday”.

POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

My next book due out before the end of November 2015, “Cutting the bars volume 2” will be dedicated to those Prison Officers who have through no fault of their own, have suffered with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD, in the past, present and those in the future, across the world.

From my observations, all governments are well aware of PTSD, yet only pay lip service to it. Government and Departmental Officials make broad statements such as, “We have a number of psychologists available to assist officers with PTSD”.

This cannot be said more clearly, it is simply “bull shit”.  Tell me how many psychologists are employed that are completely dedicated to PTSD and have no other assigned duties?   Show me the compulsory programs that apply when an Officer is diagnosed with PTSD?   Show me the realistic budget that applies to the staff and programs?

My unscientific research shows a complete lack of understanding of what is required.  I believe that:

1. Following all major critical incidents, “compulsory” debriefings must take place, being chaired by the team leader and a trained and qualified psychologist must be present and available for advice and observation.
2. All Officers showing any signs of PTSD should be relieved from duty on full pay and placed in the care of a highly trained and dedicated psychologist, (there should be no shame attached to this).
3. The Officer concerned should have full support from the Department and confidence that his/her career is safe and will not be in jeopardy.
4. The Departments must give continual training to all Prison Officers at every level.
5. Positions within the Prison Systems must be identified as to their likely stress levels. ie low, medium or high, in order to enable Officers with PTSD to be placed in a low level stress area on a planned return to work programme, or to relieve Officers who work in high stress areas for organised periods to help prevent PTSS in the first instance.
6. Prison Officers need to be recognised for what they do and for their true worth, and I am not referring to money.
7. Consideration must be given to Prison Officers concerning their daily interaction with the type of criminals and the offences they have committed on society.
8. All Officers in management positions within institutions should be critically assessed for competency and re-trained where necessary.  It seems to me that prison staff have a complete lack of confidence in at least some of the management team within their prison, and in some cases this has been a direct contributor to PTSD. 
9. The practice of retiring or pensioning off Prison Officers diagnosed with PTSD should cease. Generally speaking, these Officers are proud of their contribution to their prospective prison systems and to my mind are entitled to be secure in their employment and looked after when they succumb to PTSD.
10. The Governments must supply ample funding for this to occur.

Peter Egge

My Son's Net TV Show

My son Tim is an Ironman triathlete who has been living in Tasmania for the best part of ten years.

Tim has created a net TV mini series called Chasing The Age Grouper that follows his triathlon training and racing for over a year.

Season One is now out at AgeGrouper.TV  and you can gain instant access to watch all six episodes.

Below are the trailers for the show

LEONARD LAWSON

EXTRACT FROM MY BOOK 

CUTTING THE BARS VOLUME 1

Leonard Lawson was born in 1927.   In 1954 he arranged to take a number of female models into the bush in the Sydney suburb of Terry Hills, on the pretext of a top line photo shoot, my cousin Wendy being one of them.   It would be fair to say that Wendy was my cousin only by way of my father being adopted into the extended family. I was never especially close to Wendy as she was a lot older than me although my family would go to her family’s home on special occasions.   I was only six years of age when the following incident occurred.

Lawson at rifle and knife point, tied all the models up and raped two of the girls while forcing the other terrified girls to watch these horrific proceedings unfold.   To this day I’m not exactly sure where my cousin was placed within these gruesome events. I have never asked and it is probably better that I never do.

Justice appeared to be done when Lawson was sentenced to “Be hung by the neck until dead” for his crime.  However an appeal was lodged by the Labor Party on Lawson’s behalf and the sentence was reduced to a paltry 14 years Hard Labour.

In 1960, after he had served a mere six years imprisonment, he was released on parole.  The story is a long way from finished.  In less than a year following his release on parole, Lawson sought after and raped, strangled and stabbed to death a woman in the most humiliating and brutal manner imaginable.   While the Police were in the process of locating Lawson, he attempted to take school girls and their teacher’s hostage, armed once again with a rifle.  The head mistress, in a gallant attempt to protect her students and teachers, struggled with Lawson during which time the rifle discharged killing an innocent fifteen year old school girl, who went to school that day to learn and gain the knowledge to foster a career in order to create a wonderful, fulfilling life for herself, instead her life was cut short by a man who should have met his maker on the gallows some six or seven years earlier.

For this crime, Lawson received a sentence of Penal Servitude for Life.  In 1972 Lawson was housed at Parramatta Gaol.   While being entertained by a musical group, he attempted to take a female member of the group hostage at knife point. Amazingly the young lady was rescued by a number of his fellow prisoners, but not before receiving a number of sutures to the cuts she had received at the hands of the devil’s disciple Leonard Lawson, he received an additional five years Hard Labour for his trouble.

In 1974 I was working in the temporary intractable section in the Metropolitan Remand Centre at Long Bay, set up for the prisoners who had rioted at Bathurst on the 3rd and 4th February of that year.   One day they brought Lawson in and placed him into one of the yards.   I knew who he was without anyone saying.   As I walked past his yard he called out, “Boss what time is it”?   I turned to him and said, “Lawson don’t you ever ask me for a thing, if you want something ask someone else not me”. Lawson had no idea who I was so he continued, “Why are you like that boss”?   I looked at him and replied, “Do you know Wendy” (also giving her last name)? Lawson nonchalantly answered, “Yes I know her”.  With that I simply walked away. George Sylis was the Chief Prison Officer on duty that day and having observed my blunt response asked me what that conversation was about.    When I told him the circumstances surrounding my connection with Lawson, he had him removed from Long Bay immediately.

Lawson was to remain behind bars for another 50 years before suffering a massive heart attack at the age of 76.   I often wonder how many people have given any thought to those unfortunate young women who died at the hands of Lawson or who have had their lives permanently polluted as a result of this man’s depraved actions.  They have no doubt had to travel through their lives carrying the terrible recollection and anguish of the day they were taken hostage, or worse still raped by this man who had cheated the hangman in 1954.

When will the people who release prisoners such as Leonard Lawson to parole be made accountable for their decisions?   Surely in such cases as this, the safety of the public must be paramount and be crucially considered before the rights of the offender are deliberated meticulously prior to releasing such a barbaric individual such as Lawson.

Ron Woodham by the early 2000’s had become the highest ranking Aboriginal in the New South Wales Public Service history being bestowed the rank of the Commissioner of the New South Wales Department of Corrective Services.  The Governor of Grafton Gaol at the time, now retired John W Heffernan, wrote in his book “The Last Governor”, published by Book Pal, quoted Mr Woodham’s reaction when discussing the death of Lawson.   John Heffernan’s quote, taken directly from his book reads, “I said to Woodham, ‘Looks as if Lenny was pretty right when he said that move was going to kill him.’   “Woodham’s face went a bright crimson and took on a thunderous look as he spun around on his chair to face me.   ‘And do you think I lost any fuckin’ sleep over that!’ he spat.

Although I had lost all respect for Mr Woodham in the mid 1980’s, (you can read my reasoning in my first book “ITS ALL IN THE FALL”), I would find it difficult to argue against his remarks, though my considered position was from a personal perspective and not a professional view.

SAVING SUPERINTENDENT EVANS

EXTRACT FROM MY BOOK “CUTTING THE BARS”

(VOLUME I)

In 1973 Frank “Karate Jack” Hutchen was heading to 9 Wing in the Metropolitan Reception Prison (MRP) at the Long Bay Prison Complex to see the Wing Officer in order to give him the results of the Superintendent’s requests for the prisoners in his Wing.  On his way he noticed the Superintendent Mr Evans and Principal Prison Officer Danny Noonan heading to 7 Wing to see a prisoner named Bryant.  A sixth sense caused Mr Hutchen to enquire of Superintendent Evans. “Would you like me to come with you Sir”?  Mr Evans declined the offer.

Mr Hutchen proceeded on his way to 9 Wing when once again his sixth sense tapped him on the shoulder, a skill that comes only with experience and instinctively Mr Hutchen turned and headed for 7 Wing.   Upon his arrival he could see Mr Noonan standing in the doorway of Bryant’s cell on the top landing, 7 Wing being two stories high.  He quickly made his way to the stairs and along the landing until he reached Bryant’s cell.

Bryant had his hands under a blanket.  This would have rung alarm bells of impending danger to even the most inexperienced Officer.  Mr Evans was already in the cell as Bryant pulled his hand from under the blanket clutching a fluorescent light tube.  Smashing the end of the light tube against the wall, he lashed out at Superintendent Evans’s throat.  Mr Evans instinctively brought his hands up to protect his neck and facial area causing the tube to cut his hands.   Mr Noonan did not move or say a word.

Mr Hutchen pushed passed Mr Noonan and hit Bryant with his shoulder pushing him hard up against the cell wall, at the same time snapping the light tube rendering it less dangerous.  Bryant’s chin ended up on Mr Hutchen’s shoulder.  Bryant forced his face onto Mr Hutchen’s chest and bit through his shirt and into his chest with the force of a wild dog.  Mr Hutchen took control as he took hold of this very violent prisoner.   All Superintendent Evens could say was “Don’t hurt him, don’t hurt him”.

At the bottom of the stairs with Bryant in handcuffs Mr Hutchen looked down at his chest where Bryant had bitten him.  The wound was becoming painful and his shirt was saturated with his own blood.  Once the prisoner had been secured and removed from 7 Wing, having been placed in the OBS in the Central Industrial Prison CIP, Mr Hutchen reported to Doctor Murphy to receive appropriate medical care.  Dr Murphy was already attending Superintendent Evans.  The good doctor looked up at Mr Hutchen and said, “What can I do for you Frank?”  Mr Hutchen smiled and replied “I only need a rabies needle doctor”, implying that he had been bitten by a wild dog.  (Rabies does not exist in Australia).

The prisoner was charged by the Police and received a further two years hard labour for his trouble.

Frank (Karate Jack) Hutchen showing the bite mark on chest, just below left shoulder, inflicted by prisoner Bryant.

Photo provided courtesy of Frank Hutchen

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