Six inmates with connections to the Nomads outlaw motorcycle gang have admitted their roles in a brutal internal gang war assault that took place inside a maximum-security New South Wales prison.
Guilty Pleas Entered for Jailhouse Violence
The violent episode unfolded on February 28 this year within H-Block of the maximum-security Shortland Correctional Centre at Cessnock. According to police facts, the attack began suddenly around 2pm, shattering the routine of a typical afternoon.
Six men with links to the Nomads – convicted murderer Russel Rajapakse, Luke Caban, Brodie Dalzell, Dalton Hough, Cody Flood and Kerim Cikar – have now all pleaded guilty to charges relating to the savage bashing of two fellow gang associates.
A seventh accused inmate, Rafael Piliae, who does not have bikie ties, has had a warrant issued for his arrest after repeatedly failing to appear in court and becoming uncontactable.
Graphic Details of the Assault Emerge
CCTV footage and police evidence paint a harrowing picture of the coordinated attack. The violence commenced when three inmates cornered one victim in his cell, stabbing him in the face.
The trio then moved into the exercise yard, where they joined another associate before suddenly turning on him. Police say one attacker was seen on camera pulling jail-made knuckle dusters from his pocket, slipping them on, and punching the second victim in the face.
When the initially stabbed inmate ran out to help, both men were set upon by the group. One victim was kicked and punched on the ground, then cornered against a wall where he was repeatedly punched in the head, dragged down, and stomped on.
One inmate was seen punching a defenceless victim in the head 14 times before stomping on him. As correctional officers prepared to intervene, one assailant delivered a final, full-force kick to the victim's head.
The other victim suffered more than 20 punches and stab wounds to his head, neck, face, hand, and near his spine. He required hospital treatment for five days for a broken nose and internal injuries, including bruised lungs, before being returned to jail.
Legal Outcomes and Ongoing Proceedings
All inmates faced serious charges including reckless wounding in company and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. However, with the victims declining to assist police, prosecutors withdrew the most serious counts.
The core offenders ultimately pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of affray, which carries reduced maximum penalties in the Local Court. Dalzell, Hough and Flood are scheduled for sentencing in January 2026, while Rajapakse and Caban will learn their fate in February.
Kerim Cikar has already been jailed for a maximum of two years and five months after pleading guilty in October. The whereabouts of Rafael Piliae, who faces charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in company and affray, remain unknown.
Following the incident, the attackers were moved to segregation, with some, like convicted murderer Russel Rajapakse, transferred to the ultra-high-security Goulburn Supermax. Rajapakse is serving a 24-year sentence for the 2020 murder of Corey Breceljnik on the Central Coast.
The case highlights the ongoing challenges of managing internal gang conflicts and violence within the New South Wales correctional system.
