Child killer Stephen Williams in alleged ‘prison napalm’ attack
One of New Zealand’s most-notorious child killers could be on his way to a 98th conviction after an alleged ‘‘prison napalm’’ and stabbing attack behind bars.
Stephen Williams will be behind bars for at least 24 years after the murder of his 6-year-old stepdaughter Coral-Ellen Burrows, followed by more violent offending inside jail.
Burrows’ beaten body was found on the shores of Lake Ferry in Wairarapa after a 10-day search in 2003.
Williams was then given a 17-year non-parole period but further convictions pushed this out to 2027, with more charges for this week’s alleged attack possible.
Sources have confirmed that Williams had been placed in a low-security area of Rimutaka Prison when he allegedly attacked another prisoner by throwing boiling water and sugar over him, then stabbing him multiple times on Wednesday.
His victim was understood to be gravely ill before the attack.
The combination of boiling water and sugar is known as ‘‘prison napalm’’ because the sugar makes the water stick to the skin for longer, maximising burn time.
When Williams was last in court in 2017, for an attempted murder of another inmate, it was his 97th conviction. He said then that he wanted to stay in jail for the rest of his life, as ‘‘punishment’’ for killing his stepdaughter.
The Parole Board has confirmed his first scheduled parole hearing is now not till 2027.
Alan Whitley, president of the union for prison staff, the Corrections Association, confirmed he had been told of Wednesday’s attack. It was thought to be in unit four, which was classified as low security. He could not confirm Williams was the alleged attacker.
Prisoners made stabbing implements out of all manner of available items, ranging from filed down toothbrushes to pens, he said.
Despite being convicted of attempted murder two years earlier, it was plausible Williams would have dropped down security classifications that fast, Whitley said.
He would have been through four 6-monthly reviews and as long as he dropped down to a high-medium classification, he would have been in the correct unit.
Unit four tended to have open cell doors so prisoners could move around and make tea and coffee.
Most in unit four were serving out the last of their sentence and had proved they could behave well, he said.
The Corrections Department has confirmed the alleged attacker was now in a higher-security management unit, which Whitley said meant minimal hands-on contact with guards and a yard attached to the cell, meaning they could get outside without guards coming close. They would usually be the only prisoner in the yard at a time.
Rimutaka Prison director Viv Whelan confirmed a prisoner was taken to hospital after an alleged assault on Wednesday. ‘‘Staff responded quickly to bring matters under control and inform police.’’
Police had been provided with evidence and were investigating, while Corrections carried out its own investigation.
The attacked prisoner was in hospital with non life-threatening injuries, Whelan said.