A prisoner has openly confessed to a magistrate that he murdered a fellow inmate because the victim was a convicted child sex offender. The shocking admission came during a court hearing for two men charged over the fatal assault at a Queensland correctional facility.
Fatal Assault in Custody
Shannon Daniel Norgate, aged 28, was found with severe injuries at Maryborough Correctional Centre on November 26. The prison is located north of the Sunshine Coast. Despite being rushed to hospital, Norgate succumbed to his injuries and died on December 1.
Norgate had a history of horrific crimes against children. In 2020, he was jailed for sexually abusing young boys. Court records revealed he had disguised himself as a security guard on three occasions to lure children into a toilet block at a Gladstone shopping centre and a school.
In a separate incident, he followed two boys, aged four and five, into a school toilet block. He took the younger boy's hand and sexually abused him while the five-year-old watched.
Courtroom Confession
On Thursday, Isaac James Martin, 31, appeared via video link from prison before Brisbane Magistrates Court. He was wearing a white prison-issue smock and sporting a beard. When informed he faced a mandatory life sentence if convicted of murder, Martin made a blunt confession.
'That's right, Your Honour. I killed old mate because he was a child molester. I'm not denying anything. I killed him,' Martin stated.
Magistrate Aaron Simpson urged Martin to seek legal counsel, explaining that not all killings constitute murder. 'Killing a person does not necessarily mean it's murder. There are different levels of killing a person. A lawyer might be able to help you get the best result if that's the case,' Mr Simpson advised.
Martin, however, said he was representing himself, adding 'It's a murder charge,' to which he replied, 'All good.'
Co-Accused and Legal Proceedings
The second accused, Bodhi James Barry Johnson, 29, also appeared briefly via video link, wearing a green prison t-shirt. Unlike Martin, Johnson is applying for legal representation. He is now being held at Woodford Correctional Centre, north of Brisbane.
Both men were formally charged with murder on Wednesday. They have been remanded in custody, with their cases scheduled to return to court on March 9.
Martin is already serving an 11-year sentence for the unlawful striking causing death of another inmate, Zlatko Sikorsky, in 2023. Sikorsky was awaiting trial for the murder of 16-year-old Larissa Beilby.
Johnson had been eligible to apply for parole next month while serving a sentence for car theft and arson.
Norgate had been released from prison after serving 406 days for his initial offences but was later jailed again for breaching court orders. These breaches included contravening a prohibition order and failing to report as a registered offender under the Child Protection Act. In 2023, he was sentenced to six years behind bars.
