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Drug lord Tony Mokbel is suing the Victorian government over a prison stabbing that nearly took his life.
Teira Bennett and Eldea Teuira, both 22, were sentenced in 2020 to at least seven years each behind bars for stabbing the then 53-year-old woman in the exercise yard at Victoria’s Barwon prison in February 2019. .
Daily Mail Australia can reveal that lawyers representing Mokbel have filed a brief with the Victorian Supreme Court seeking damages against the State of Victoria.
Court documents indicate that Mokbel believes the government placed a duty on her to care for him while he was caged behind bars inside Barwon prison.
Tony Mokbel is nearly killed in a prison attack. The image shows him being treated by paramedics after being stabbed
Mokbel was unable to move from the moment he was attacked and was unable to defend himself when two inmates attacked him.
Eldea Teuira and Teira Bennett in a judicial skit during their appearance in court. Both men laughed during their prayer in 2020.
“At all material times, the defendant had a duty to prevent foreseeable injury arising from the conduct of other prisoners with prisoners in custody at Barwon Prison,” it was stated.
“At all relevant times while the Claimant was in custody, he was under the care and responsibility of the Defendant.”
Mokbel was beaten by the king and stabbed seven times by the men with cutlery and sharp wire and kicked to the head, breaking his teeth.
The attack was so violent that the court refused to release images of it to the media.
The old gangster was unable to move from the moment he was attacked and was unable to defend himself when the couple attacked him.
As the assault drew the attention of other inmates and prison guards, the men could be heard yelling, “You’re not an enforcer, this is what you get for talking to the screws you fucking dog.”
Mokbel came under fire after a front-page article in the Herald Sun newspaper claimed that Mokbel had still been pulling the strings behind bars.
On the same day the report was released, Mokbel was approached by prison officers and asked if he had any concerns about what he was saying.
The report details how Mokbel had allegedly disrupted an extortion ring being carried out at the prison by Pacific Islanders, who were targeting a teenager locked up on assault charges.
In sentencing their attackers, respected Victoria County Court Judge Elizabeth Gaynor said she accepted the brutal attack was a direct result of the newspaper article and the men’s attempt to restore the honor of their prison gang ‘GFAM’. ‘.
Eldea Teuira (pictured) believed Tony Mokbel got what he deserved in the attack that left him fighting for his life.
A summary of the incident revealed that Mokbel was king-slammed and stabbed seven times by Teuira when Bennett (pictured) kicked him in the head.
In documents filed with the Supreme Court, Mokbel’s lawyers assert that the Andrews government had a duty to reasonably provide for Mokbel’s physical and psychological safety.
‘The defendant breached the duty owed to the plaintiff. As a result of Defendant’s breaches of duty, Plaintiff has suffered and continues to suffer injuries, losses and damages,’ the documents state.
Mokbel is seeking economic damages, including aggravated and exemplary damages, interest, and costs.
Legal action stemming from the jailhouse attack had been on the line since 2019.
Maurice Blackburn Lawyers director Dimi Ioannou told the herald sun then the lawyers would have to show that the prison authorities were aware of a possible threat to their safety.
“They need to show that they were aware of a potential threat to your safety and then show that they breached their duty of care by failing to protect you from the threat.
“Then you have to show that there was permanent injury from the incident, and there was.”
Bleeding from his mouth and chest, Mokbel was airlifted to Royal Melbourne Hospital and was deemed to be in a serious but stable condition.
A homemade weapon used to stab Tony Mokbel inside Barwon prison last year. His attackers laughed upon hearing the details of his savage attack.
Another of the homemade weapons with which Tony Mokbel was stabbed in jail
Just an hour before the frenzied jail house struck, Mokbel had attended Teuira’s 21st birthday celebrations, where the couple “hugged” each other and were seen chatting.
Bleeding from his mouth and chest, Mokbel was airlifted to Royal Melbourne Hospital in serious but stable condition.
A second victim, 31, was also injured while trying to help Mokbel, but returned to prison after spending a night in hospital.
Mokbel was so badly injured that he underwent emergency surgery and was left in a coma.
His young attackers laughed during his sentencing at Victoria County Court.
Their sentences were bundled in addition to the jail time they were already serving at the time, meaning Bennett would serve at least eight years and Teuira eight and a half years.
“That’s a good shot,” Bennett laughed.
Both men seemed confused upon hearing the sentence and continued to laugh and chat with each other while still on the public video link.
“Oh well, it is what it is,” Teuira told Bennett.
When Teuira’s lawyer warned the men that they were still being broadcast, Teuira sent a message to the public.
‘I love jail. I love jail,’ she yelled as Bennett cracked up.