Anthony John Smith: Fears for prisoner on nine-day hunger strike
The family of a notorious armed robber is concerned about his health after he went nine days without food.
Anthony John Smith has gone on hunger strike after being transferred from Yatala Labour Prison to Port Augusta in South Australia last week.
Mr Smith is serving 24 years of a 30-year sentence after pleading guilty to three armed robberies in 1999 and 2000.
According to The Advertiser, his family have taken to social media to express concerns about his welfare as he refuses to eat.
“The last time I spoke to him was yesterday afternoon around 2:15 p.m. (Wednesday),” a family member said.
‘He was already on the seventh day without food and was struggling both mentally and emotionally, his well-being had been at great risk for days.
“This situation is about more than just a transfer, it highlights the ongoing injustices and inhumane treatment he has endured.”
Mr Smith has reportedly spent more than seven years in a 23-hour lockdown, with a family member claiming the Department for Correctional Services is denying him “fundamental human rights”.
Anthony John Smith has gone on hunger strike after being transferred from Yatala Labour Prison to Port Augusta in South Australia last week
“As far back as I can remember, there has been no real progress made regarding Tony’s situation,” the relative said.
‘Every little progress has cost us significant costs.
“We have encountered numerous obstacles due to classifications and other restrictions, such as ineligibility for medium security or release-ready programs.”
Mr Smith was sentenced to 12 years in prison for the robbery of the Buckingham Arms hotel in Walkerville, seven and a half years for the robbery of an ANZ bank and 18 years for a robbery of Myrtle Bank. However, these sentences were later reduced to 30 years imprisonment with a non-parole period of 18 years.
In 2021, he was denied parole.
The DCS has been contacted for comment.