Incident Under Scrutiny

An Australian coroner's court is investigating the death of Wayne Hunt, a 56-year-old disabled inmate, who died in custody on Thursday, 29 August 2024, following an epileptic seizure at the Darwin Correctional Centre in Australia's Northern Territory. Confronting body-camera footage presented at the inquest before Coroner Elisabeth Armitage showed prison officers pinning Mr. Hunt down, placing him in handcuffs, and covering his head with a spit hood. He was found unresponsive in an 'at-risk' cell the following morning and died in hospital two days later. Mr. Hunt, who had a prosthetic leg from a 2008 motorcycle accident, was just days into a new sentence for dangerous driving causing death. The inquest heard that following his seizure, prison staff treated the situation as a behavioural issue rather than a medical emergency, suspecting he may have taken illicit drugs. Consequently, he did not receive a full medical assessment and was instead sedated by a nurse, restrained, and moved to an observation cell. During the inquest on Wednesday, 5 November 2025 (EAT), counsel assisting the coroner, Chrissy McConnel, questioned a corrections officer, who cannot be named due to a suppression order. The officer stated he believed Mr. Hunt's seizure was over by the time his team arrived and that his subsequent erratic behaviour suggested drug use. The Northern Territory corrections and health departments have formally apologised to Mr. Hunt's family for his treatment.

Details of the Fatal Incident

Wayne Hunt was convicted for a December 2022 incident where he accidentally accelerated his vehicle in a supermarket car park, fatally pinning an 11-year-old boy. He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death and initially received a three-month sentence, which was later extended by nine months after an appeal by prosecutors. He began serving the new sentence just days before his death. On the day of the incident, Thursday, 29 August 2024, after Mr. Hunt had a seizure, officers from the prison's Immediate Action Team, were called. Footage showed Mr. Hunt, handcuffed and face down, moaning incoherently while officers held him down. He was then placed in a wheelchair, fitted with a spit hood, and taken to the at-risk cell where he was left naked on the floor for observation. An officer told the inquest that the decision was made to treat him as an at-risk inmate, which required monitoring via CCTV, rather than a medical case. However, another guard admitted he was unaware of the rules requiring physical checks every 15 minutes for at-risk inmates.

Broader Context: Prisoner Rights and Use of Force

This case highlights significant concerns regarding the treatment of prisoners with disabilities and the use of controversial restraints like spit hoods in Australia. Human rights organisations have previously condemned the use of spit hoods, with the United Nations' anti-torture watchdog in December 2023 calling for a complete ban on the device in Australia, describing it as 'inhuman and degrading treatment'. While some Australian states have banned or ceased their use, they are still permitted in adult prisons in the Northern Territory, where this incident occurred. Reports from organisations like Human Rights Watch and Australia's own Disability Royal Commission have documented systemic issues, including the over-representation of people with disabilities in prisons, inadequate healthcare, and the disproportionate use of solitary confinement and restraints. A 2018 Human Rights Watch report detailed harrowing accounts of abuse and neglect of disabled prisoners in Australia. The law in the Northern Territory, under the Correctional Services Act, stipulates that force used by officers must be reasonable and necessary, and employed only as a last resort. The ongoing inquest into Wayne Hunt's death will continue to examine whether the actions of the prison and health staff met these standards and what systemic changes may be required to prevent similar deaths in custody.