Convicted killer accused of lying about jail abuse

A man in jail for a Napier murder, which he denied doing, is accused of lying about prison abuse.
The allegations against Ra Albert O'Dowd were made in the Christchurch District Court yesterday by prison officers who removed him from his cell and stripped him during what was described as a near-riot in Paparua Prison on the night of December 19, 1999.
O'Dowd is serving life, with a minimum 13 years, for the February 1994 killing of Conquest Rhett Tuau, and is now claiming $150,000 in damages for the alleged abuse.
All four prison officers involved in the "control and restraint" of O'Dowd at Christchurch's Paparua Prison deny using unnecessary force.
The man heading the control and restraint on O'Dowd, senior corrections officer Alistair Thompson, said the prisoner's removal was done by the rules, with more than one chance being given to avoid force.
Mr Thompson said he repeatedly told O'Dowd: "This is your last opportunity to move peacefully or you will be removed forcefully".
Before a team member restrained O'Dowd by twisting his hand, Mr Thompson said he gave O'Dowd the chance to "move to the back wall, get on your knees and interlock your fingers behind your head and cross your legs at the ankle".
O'Dowd was pushed with the shield, restrained by a wrist lock and handcuffed, Mr Thompson said. He was then taken to the maximum security block and strip searched. A towel was provided to O'Dowd as a female officer was present.
The inmate was subjected to force because he was abusive to staff and refused to obey an order to assume the passive position on the floor, he said.
Mr Thompson was assisted in moving O'Dowd by other officers Louise Dierck, Gerald Eaton and Thomas Varnum. The officers were at the prison as part of an Emergency Response Unit exercise.
This week, ERU boss Tony Bird told the court the ERU was inside the prison to prepare for any eventuality caused by the Y2K bug. But O'Dowd's lawyer, John McDowell, said the cells where O'Dowd was held had manual locks and would not be affected by computer glitches.
Yesterday, Mr Bird denied Y2K was an excuse to use inmates as "live training". O'Dowd was inciting other prisoners and threatening prison officers' families, he said.
On-call manager of the prison on the night, Norbet Van de Langenberg, said he was not aware of any operation to prepare for Y2K. When rung and told an operation involving C&R; was to be begin, Mr Van de Langenberg went to the prison to observe. But he was removed from the floor where the action took place because he was told he was at risk without flak gear.