Police have charged a man over the alleged prison murder of Berkeley's Michael Black.
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Emmett Raymond Sheard, 28, of Belmont near Newcastle, is accused of fatalty stabbing Black at Parklea prison on April 21.
Black had been due to front a Wollongong court via video link that day, but his lawyers advised the court about 3pm that they had been unable to contact him because Parklea had been "placed into lockdown".
He had died of his injuries just before 1pm, before paramedics arrived on scene.
Sheard was on remand for a long list of offences including reckless wounding and two aggravated break and enters.
Following last Thursday's events, he was taken under police guard to Westmead Hosital where he underwent surgery.
He was released from hospital and returned to Parklea two days later.
The following day, police took Sheard to Riverstone Police Station, where he was arrested and charged with murder and possessing and offensive weapon in a place of detention.
He appeared in Parramatta bail court on Anzac Day and was remanded in custody to appear at the same court on June 25.
Black stood accused of an armed hold-up at Berkeley Post Office and of concealing a shooting at Dapto earlier this year.
The Mercury understands the 33-year-old was waiting in a designated pod inside the privately-run prison ahead of his court appearance, and his death was not captured on CCTV camera.
MTC-Broadspectrum, the company that runs Parklea Correctional Centre, later issued a statement expressing its "deepest sympathy" to Black's family and vowing to cooperate with the police investigation.
Meantime Stewart Little, general secretary of Community Public Sector Union NSW, has written to the state's corrections minister Anthony Roberts, calling for a review of Parklea's incident management in light of Black's death.
"The CPSU NSW notes Parklea is the state's only privately owned prison and part of the investigation must focus on whether staffing levels were appropriate," Mr Little said, in a statement.
Angela Thompson
Proudly Illawarra Mercury since 2008; these days covering crime and justice issues. UOW alum. Thrilled by the chase and sobered by some of the things I see and hear when I stand still - sometimes in the same day. ang.thompson@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Proudly Illawarra Mercury since 2008; these days covering crime and justice issues. UOW alum. Thrilled by the chase and sobered by some of the things I see and hear when I stand still - sometimes in the same day. ang.thompson@austcommunitymedia.com.au
