Prisoner who bashed a guard to within an inch of his life could be RELEASED from maximum security

A prisoner who mercilessly bashed a prison guard to ‘within an inch of his life’ may be moved from his maximum security prison to a lower security facility.

Brian Lafaitele was mid-way through a five year prison sentence when he savagely bashed prison officer Greg Sands at Woodford Correctional Centre in Queensland. 

Prison officers are understood to be ‘furious’ at the plans to move Lafaitele to Borallon Training and Correctional Centre.

The move is allegedly the first step to being reintegrated into the general prison population.

Prison sources told the Courier Mail that staff are worried Lafaitele will attack again if he is moved to a less secure unit at another jail. 

Officers are reportedly astonished that the prisoner who almost killed a guard may be moved to a lower security prison.

‘It will be – almost kill an officer and get rewarded and sent to Borallon,’ sources told the newspaper.

In 2014, Brian Lafaitele was sentenced to five years in prison after he was involved in a two-hour high speed car chase south of Brisbane where he hit and injured a police officer. 

He was originally charged with attempted murder but pleaded guilty in 2016 to more than a dozen charges, including to assault or obstruct a police officer. 

He was sentenced to five years prison and has been serving at Woodford Correctional Centre, 100km north of Brisbane.

Lafaitele was is being held at Woodford Correctional Centre in the maximum security unit

In December 2018 when he was told he would be sharing a cell with another inmate he brutally bashed prison officer Greg Sands. 

Lafaitele punched and kicked Mr Sands leaving him unrecognisable. 

The attack left Mr Sands with a broken nose, cheek, eye sockets and jaw resulting numerous facial reconstruction surgeries. 

Lafaitele had his non-parole period extended by a year and he has spent the last two years in Woodford’s maximum security unit. 

Mr Sands has not been able to return to work and says he, ‘will never fully recover.’ 

He shared his experience to a Facebook group for correctional officers, ‘I could not see for nine days and had to drink my food for three months.’

Mr Sands said it was the attack’s impact on his family that affected him most.

Greg Sands was flown to hospital and required multiple facial reconstruction surgeries

‘It’s two years now and I still have not recovered and I will never fully recover.’

‘But you know what really cuts me deepest [to] this day?’

‘Seeing my children pale, crying, shaking in the ICU. Seeing their dad who they cannot recognise and not knowing is he was going to live or die.’

‘To this day, that thought rips my guts out and probably will forever.’ 

The Courier Mail reported that Michael Thomas from Together Union said they had ‘significant concerns’ about the planned move.

‘We have significant concerns that the prisoner is still a risk,’ he said. 

Greg Sands admitted that he would never recover from the brutal bashing he received by an inmate

‘We have raised those concerns with the department and are seeking an urgent response.’ 

Queensland Corrective Services said in a statement that, ‘decisions relating to prisoners who are in Maximum Security Units are very carefully considered, with input from officers, multi-disciplinary teams including health experts.’

‘Transitioning MSU prisoners to lower classification accommodation is always accompanied by an Intensive Management Plan’

Lafaitele became eligible for parole in February.