Prison officers recount trauma of being set upon by woman who beheaded her own mother
Two prison officers have recounted their terror after they were viciously set upon by a woman jailed for beheading her own mother.
A 24-year-old female corrections officer experienced the full force of Jessica Camilleri’s outburst in August 2021 during a routine room inspection in a specialist unit at Sydney’s Silverwater prison.
The victim choked back tears as she delivered her victim impact statement in court on Friday recounting how the inmate “latched onto her hair causing excruciating pain”.
“When I went back to the office, I had people point out a bald patch of hair on the left of my scalp,” she said.
“Each hair strand had follicles attached to them which was evidently pulled with force.”
Two years on, the trauma remains with the young corrections officer who continues to experience the pain and ongoing sadness from the attack where she would cry at work and during moments alone.
“Returning to the unit of the attack reminds me of the assault and of the sweaty palms and clammy hands.”
“I find myself experiencing and reliving the events from August 14 – memories which I believe will remain with me for the rest of my life.”
Two months after the attack of the first officer, Camilleri again set upon another officer, this time a 21-year-old asked to handcuff her so she could be transported to another section of the facility.
Body-worn footage played to Downing Centre District Court showed the moment the inmate jumped onto the officer, grabbing a fistful of her hair, before another officer jumped in to push Camilleri away.
The victim is still undergoing psychological treatment two years on, telling of the post traumatic stress disorder and vivid nightmares that transport her back to the moment of the attack.
“While I continue to physically endure pain and discomfort, the psychological toll is what weighs heaviest on me,” she told the court.
“It has shattered my sense of safety.”
The officer, who is a practising Sikh, also told of the toll the attack had on her faith.
“Uncut hair is one of the most integral parts of my religion. The attack was a breach of my own religious belief.”
The 29-year-old inmate pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting a corrections officer.
It was not the first time the assaults had happened in jail, with the court hearing of two other assaults involving Camilleri.
She was imprisoned in March 2021 after being found guilty of manslaughter for stabbing her mother, cutting off her head and removing her eyes in July 2019, but successfully reduced her sentence in May on appeal.
Camilleri has been diagnosed with a myriad of mental health conditions, including poor anger control, impulsive behaviour, anxiety, panic disorder and intermittent explosive disorder.
