Prisoners say they asked a “mentally unwell” fellow inmate to be removed from their wing just days before an assault that led to his death.

Grant Steven Bowden, 47, died on December 27, 2018 — nearly 14 months after the assault at the Otago Corrections Facility.

The coronial inquiry began this week at the Dunedin District Court and will review his treatment while at the prison where he was on remand on burglary charges.

Coroner Allie Cunninghame will ultimately consider whether the tragedy was preventable.

Yesterday the court viewed CCTV of the fight, which showed a group of prisoners in the exercise yard on November 3, 2017.

Nyal Heke, who was serving a lengthy sentence for a sex attack at the time, told the inquiry this morning that he went to a mesh fence to check the time when he was approached by Bowden, who had schizophrenia and had spent time in the prison’s at-risk unit.

He said the man challenged him to a fight, which he declined.

Bowden took a fighting stance and there was an brief scuffle.

Footage showed the pair came together again minutes later.

Corrections officer Rakesh Harrison said it appeared that Heke and his associates were “winding up” the victim.

He described Bowden’s unconventional technique as “uncoordinated and slow”.

After evading several blows, Heke retaliated.

“I didn’t hit him with as much force as I could in that punch,” he said.

“It was more of a swing. I just wanted to get him off me.”

The blow knocked Bowden backwards, his head crashing into the concrete floor.

“His eyes were rolling to the back of his head. As soon as he hit the ground I could see the blood coming out of his head and ears and eyes,” Heke said.

Corrections officers ushered prisoners out of the yard so Bowden could be treated by medical staff.

Heke, who had 15 months added to his sentence over the assault, said he watched the aftermath through the window of a nearby games room.

“I was freaking out. I still have nightmares about this.”

Bowden suffered a traumatic head injury and spent 12 days in intensive care during which part of his skull was removed to relieve the pressure from his swelling brain.

He was left unable to swallow food or fluid.

After being transferred to a West Auckland residential facility, he developed a severe chest infection.

Bowden died at Waitakere Hospital several days later.

Heke told the inquest the man had challenged him to a fight the day before the violent incident but had desisted at the request of another inmate.

He said he urged facility staff to remove Bowden from the wing but that did not happen.

Inmate Lucas Padget told the court he too had made a similar request.

A third inmate Dain Manukau said Bowden was clearly out of place.

 “He should never have been in there. He was mentally unwell. He should’ve been in a mental unit,” he said.

Bowden’s family described him as “bright, warm and affectionate” and said he enjoyed sport, writing, music and art.

While supporting him had been challenging, they said he had taught them much about compassion and perseverance.

Lawyers will visit the prison today to view the scene.

- Rob Kidd, ODT

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