Convicted killer Matej Vanko jailed for involvement in Darwin prison riot while serving life sentence

Convicted murderer Matej Vanko will not be eligible for release until late 2036 due to his involvement in a major prison riot in Darwin in 2020, which saw several buildings set on fire and tear gas fired at prisoners.

Vanko is currently serving a life sentence after kidnapping her boss and murdering her brother in rural Darwin in 2012.

The former SERCO detention center employee held his former boss, Noelene Stevens, at a Howard Springs estate and murdered her brother, Donald Stevens, 53, by stabbing him in the back of the neck.

Four years later, in 2016, he pleaded guilty to aggravated assault on a fellow inmate, as a result of which his parole period was extended until February 2036.

The 47-year-old will now add rioting to his criminal record after pleading guilty to two charges in the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory, including disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property in connection with a disturbance at the Darwin Correctional Center in 2020.

During the riots, a group of prisoners escaped from their sectors, and three buildings were set on fire and looted.

On Monday, Judge Meredith Huntingford said the riots began on the evening of May 13, 2020, when an inmate housed in Sector 6 smashed a window and fled the building, prompting other inmates to “prepare to escape from their quarters.” .

Over the course of more than four hours, the group of prisoners, including Vanko, managed to get through multiple sectors, climbing fences, before breaking through to the sports and recreation facility and the education building.

Judge Huntingford said Vanko was spotted on CCTV trying to smash a glass door leading to the sports and leisure building with a fire extinguisher.

At one point, the group climbed onto the roof of the educational building, after which an unknown person started a fire, causing significant damage and rendering the facility “unusable.”

“Correctional officers … gathered at the foot of the education building and observed various inmates … throwing office items from the roof in an unsafe manner, shouting threats at correctional officers and generally creating a tumultuous atmosphere,” the judge said.

She said Vanko did not participate in any acts of arson, harmed anyone or used offensive language towards prison staff.

While the cost of Vanko’s damages was “not trivial,” the judge found, it was only a “fraction” of the total bill, which was $27 million.

During sentencing, the judge said the offense was “protracted”, lasting more than four hours and involving the use of a “makeshift weapon”.

“It is clear that your behavior … was aggressive and may have caused those in the area, including correctional officers and other inmates who were not involved, to fear for their safety,” she said.

Vanko was sentenced to a total of 18 months in prison for both offenses and his non-parole period was extended by six months until September 2036.