Aaron Drever appears at Auckland District Court for sentencing. Photo / Michael Craig
Aaron Drever appears at Auckland District Court for sentencing. Photo / Michael Craig
Corrections have admitted an internal failure led to a serious prison assault on disgraced real estate agent Aaron Drever, with officials launching a review to prevent the grisly situation happening again.
And now a prominent business consultant has agreed to assist Drever to lay a formal complaint against Corrections for the department’s handling of his safety behind bars.
“He’s serving the sentence he deserves,” Matt Blomfield told the Herald.
“But you don’t expect to serve a second sentence by getting your face ripped open by a meat hook.”
Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis says he’s been briefed on the case.
“No assault is acceptable. My expectation is for any shortcomings to be addressed, should they be found as a result of this review.”
Drever, 39, who was jailed in August for fraudulently obtaining about $600,000 from Auckland Speedway companies and the Avondale Bowling Club, suffered horrific facial injuries after being attacked in the Northland Prison kitchen on November 16.
It’s understood another inmate struck Drever with a metal grille hook, slashing his face open and exposing his nasal cavity, following an altercation in the prison kitchen.
His former friend Bill Buckley, who was ripped off by Drever, understands the attack was payback by a gang member for “narking” on another inmate.
Former Western Springs Speedway promoter Bill Buckley offered Aaron Drever a job but would soon live to regret it. Photo / Michael Craig
In a letter to his legal team, Drever said his injuries were likely to be permanent, and that the man who attacked him had assaulted another inmate just weeks earlier and “should not have been working in the kitchen”.
In a statement to the Herald yesterday, Corrections admitted the assailant was involved in a previous violent incident on October 20 which was caught on CCTV.
Northland Region Corrections Facility prison director David Pattinson told the Herald the earlier incident was not referred to police. It was instead dealt with through an internal misconduct system, and the man had only resumed his kitchen job on the day Drever was attacked.
Pattinson said the man should not have been working in the kitchen “without managerial sign-off” and blamed a “miscommunication” by a staff member for the bungle.
“I have asked for an event review to be completed so that we can understand what occurred to prevent this happening again.”
“Following the [October] assault, the perpetrator had an alert added to their file to not associate with the victim and he was charged through our internal misconduct system,” Pattinson said.
“He received cell confinement for four days, from 8-12 November and a seven-day loss of privileges, from 8-15 November. He resumed his job in the kitchen on 16 November. This should not have happened.
“There appears to have been a miscommunication with a staff member permitting the perpetrator to return to work without managerial sign-off.”
Former real estate agent Aaron Drever at his Grocer's Market store in Mt Eden before the business was liquidated. Photo / NZME
Pattinson said that after Drever was assaulted, he was put on two-hour welfare checks and able to engage with senior prison staff as required.
“To better ensure Mr Drever’s safety, the perpetrator was moved to another prison following the assault.”
Police had also been alerted to the attack.
Pattinson reiterated that Corrections staff dealt with the country’s most complex and dangerous people. Staff were trained in identifying and deescalating tension and violent behaviour, and had a zero tolerance for violence on prisoners or staff.
“Any prisoner using such behaviour will be held to account for their actions.
“The reality is the threat of violence is something we cannot eliminate entirely, but we do everything possible to provide the safest environment possible for staff and people in prison. We take our duty of care seriously and take reports of assault extremely seriously.”
Business consultant Matt Blomfield says no one deserves to have their face ripped open by a meat hook. Photo / Doug Sherring
Blomfield has previously supported Drever’s litigation team during Real Estate Agents Disciplinary Tribunal proceedings but stopped working for Drever after fraud charges were laid.
He said he spoke to Drever from Northland Prison shortly after the attack.
“Although I don’t condone what he did and think the sentence is appropriate, I’ve agreed to take limited instructions to lodge a formal complaint with the Department of Corrections in relation to the attack he had to endure.
“There is no situation where it’s okay for someone to endure violent attacks whilst serving a sentence, no matter how bad the crime.”
