Anthony Wheble prison attack case: Man pleads guilty to attempted murder of fellow inmate

On the same day his attempted murder trial was set to begin, Anthony Wheble instead pleaded guilty. Photo / NZME

A prisoner with a violent history who was set to go to trial on Tuesday for a brutal attack - in which he was accused of kicking a fellow inmate in the head and stabbing him in the face with a homemade shank - has instead pleaded guilty to attempted murder.

Anthony John Wheble is no stranger to the High Court at Auckland.

The January 2020 attack, involving an altered toothbrush with a razor blade attached, came just months after he was sentenced to serve seven years without parole for slitting another inmate's throat at the Otago Corrections Facility.

The latest attack, according to an agreed summary of facts, took place in the exercise yard at Auckland prison. There had been no known incidents between Wheble and victim Brent Charlton, who was in two leg casts due to a prior unrelated incident and was sitting against a wall.

"At approximately 10.30am Mr Wheble walked up to Mr Charlton and kicked him with full force to the head making contact to the forehead and causing him to slump to the floor in a defenceless state," the summary of facts state.

"With his left hand Mr Wheble lifted Mr Charlton's head from the floor to his waist height and, with his right hand, took the shank from his pocket and repeatedly stabbed Mr Charlton's face striking him several times. Mr Wheble then let go of Mr Charlton's head, took a step back and proceeded to kick him five times to the head."

With Charlton then unconscious, Wheble held up his head and continued to cut his eyelids, as well as 14 other cuts to his face and 21 cuts to his neck.

Justice Christine Gordon is set to determine his sentence for the third-strike violation in April.

Defence lawyer Baden Meyer had asked that his client's conviction not be entered until the three-strikes legislation is repealed in July. Justice Gordon declined the request and Meyer said his client will file an appeal.

Under the current law, the judge has little discretion other than to sentence Wheble to the maximum penalty without the possibility of parole.