Darcy David Junior Mandijarra: Sentenced prisoner avoids extra jail time for indecent assault of prison nurse

A sentenced prisoner who groped the buttocks of an on-duty prison nurse who was trying to administer him medication has avoided extra jail time. Darcy David Junior Mandijarra appeared in Albany Magistrates Court on Thursday charged with indecently and unlawfully assaulting a prison nurse, causing her to feel “unsafe” in her workplace. The 27-year-old, who is at Albany Regional Prison serving a four-year sentence that is set to end in September, was in a private cell when the 38-year-old nurse came to dispense his medication on October 21. After exchanging pleasantries, the nurse turned away to get Mandijarra’s medication and he reached over and squeezed her right buttock. After she reported the incident, Mandijarra was placed in solitary confinement for a month and put on basics for two weeks. Defence lawyer Lucy Bourne said Mandijarra “wasn’t thinking”, and he was sorry for the distress his actions caused. Magistrate Erin O’Donnell said although the offence was at the “lower end” of the seriousness scale, Mandijarra’s actions caused someone to feel uncomfortable and distressed in their workplace. “Suffice it to say that she was entitled to feel safe in her working environment, and was there to help in her role,” she said. “It was not a prolonged assault but probably one that caused her some distress. “No one deserves to feel unsafe at work.” Mandijarra was sentenced to two months imprisonment that will run concurrently with his current term and will not affect his release date.