Albury inmate held prison guard hostage, victim stabbed, tied up, hit

Noel Barrett, 25, and a convicted murderer were serving time at the Mid North Coast Correctional Centre at the time of the hostage incident on December 18, 2020.

Barrett was in custody over an armed incident at a David Street home in South Albury on January 19 of that year.

He had been armed with a machete, and his friend Matthew Duncan armed with a gun, when they abducted a man and drove him to Mungabareena Reserve.

He had about six months left on his term before being eligible for parole when he hatched a plan with the other man to attack two prison guards, leaving both with physical and psychological injuries.

The correctional officers, Nathan Fuller and Matthew Lansdowne, were entering a pod office about midday.

The offenders attacked the officers from behind, with one shouting "you ----ts are dead" or "you ----ts are gonna die".

Mr Lansdowne suffered repeated blows to the back of his head with an object, and the younger man placed a prison made knife to the other officer's neck as he was pushed into the pod.

Barrett punched and lunged at Mr Lansdowne while holding a prison shank, hitting him several times to his forehead.

Barrett was pushed out as a duress alarm was sounded, while the younger man placed Mr Fuller into a kneeling position and pushed his weapon into his neck.

A six hour siege followed as Mr Fuller was held hostage.

"I'll end him ... I've killed before and I'll kill again," the younger man said.

Barrett was allowed back in the pod to calm the convicted killer down but instead resumed his attack.

Barrett tied Mr Fuller's hands behind his back, which was followed by further assaults and threats to kill.

He was burnt with a chemical, spat on, sprayed with insect repellent and threats made to set him on fire.

He was repeatedly stabbed and poked with a weapon, had a fluorescent tube broken over his head, was tied to a chair and repeatedly struck.

The pair had been demanding opioid injections, cigarettes and media access throughout the ordeal as negotiations took place.

The incident ended at 5.55pm when they surrendered their weapons before being secured.

Both were taken to the Goulburn High Risk Offenders Centre and spend time in solitary confinement with limited yard time.

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"What should have been an ordinary day at work where they serve the community in the corrections service has ended with what may be lifelong psychological consequences and limited career prospects for each of them as a result of the brazen criminality of the offending," Judge Andrew Coleman said of the victims.

The District Court heard Barrett had only been jail free for "months here and there" in recent years.

He was jailed for 10 years with a six-and-a-half month non-parole period.

Barrett will first be eligible for parole in June 2029.

The younger man, who can't be named for legal reasons, will not be eligible for release until May 2046.

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