Conman refused swab
A conman with nearly 40 aliases and more than 250 convictions spent two weeks in isolation behind bars after telling prison staff he feared he had Covid-19.
Wayne Jury Eaglesome, 44, is one of the country’s most prolific conmen. He was jailed for two years and three months in October 2018, under the name Alex Bergen, for being the director of a company while prohibited, taking part in the management of a company while prohibited and making a false statement.
The Press understands Eaglesome recently told prison staff he believed he had Covid-19, and told them his symptoms, but refused to be tested. He was then put in isolation for two weeks.
It’s understood he has complained about his treatment.
Christchurch Men’s Prison director Jo Harrex said staff were aware of Eaglesome’s offending history and the risk he posed, having accommodated him in prison previously.
Legislative obligations under the Privacy Act and the Health Information Privacy Code meant the Department of Corrections was limited in what information could be provided on the specific aspects of a prisoner’s healthcare treatment or complaints made by inmates.
‘‘We have a number of controls in place to minimise all risks relating to the transmission of Covid-19 in our prisons,’’ Harrex said.
If a prisoner developed symptoms of Covid-19 they would be isolated, and staff would follow the advice of the Ministry of Health to determine who else they may have had close contact with and who may require isolation and Covid-19 testing as recommended by health officials.
Staff are required to wear full personal protective equipment, including mask, gloves and eye protection if a prisoner presents as having suspected or confirmed Covid-19.
‘‘If a prisoner declines to be tested they will continue to be isolated for a period of 14 days.
‘‘During this time staff will support their health and wellbeing and do everything possible to encourage them to undertake testing.’’
Harrex said the prison’s health staff had a duty of care to treat all prisoners to a standard they could expect in the community. ‘‘Equally, our staff have worked hard to successfully reduce the risk of Covid-19 entering and spreading in the prison environment.’’
Harrex said prisoners had several avenues to report concerns, including reporting to staff, the office of the Ombudsman, the independent Corrections inspectorate and police.
The Press earlier revealed Eaglesome had been coaching fellow inmates – some of whom were convicted sex offenders – on how to change their names.
He also used a real man’s identity to write a fake job reference for an associate, while also making scores of vexatious complaints to Corrections about prison staff, claiming they were racist and anti-Semitic.
The Press understands Eaglesome’s mail is now being monitored by Corrections. Harrex said public safety was ‘‘paramount’’.
The conman has come to notoriety over the years for turning a five-bedroom home into a backpackers’ hostel hosting up to 28 people a day, claiming to be a millionaire shortly before faking his death, and going on a crime spree spanning the country staying in flash hotels pretending to be a priest and a doctor.
His aliases include George Von Rothschild, Ari Ben Yitzhak and Bernhardt Augustus Longwater.