Prison van attack ruling

The Corrections Department says the man who killed teenager Liam Ashley in the back of a prison van two years ago was properly restrained when he attacked a prison officer in the back of a van.

Corrections spokeswoman Jeanette Burns said George Baker was being taken to Paremoremo Prison from hospital on July 5 with three officers when he produced an improvised weapon he had concealed internally.

One officer received a cut finger.

Baker was handcuffed to an officer, but was not wearing a waist restraint, brought in after Ashley's death, because his arm was "seriously injured" and Corrections' policy was that medically exempt prisoners would not be placed in such a restraint.