WA: Four detainees charged over Perth airport assault

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WA: Four detainees charged over Perth airport assault

By Liza Kappelle

PERTH, Dec 30 AAP - Four detainees will appear in a Perth court tomorrow charged overan assault at Perth airport in which a detention centre employee was injured.

The alleged assault follows a spate of unrest over the weekend at South and West Australiandetention centres which have caused damages of over $5 million.

The four men were tonight in East Perth police lock-up pending tomorrow's appearancein a WA magistrate's court where they will face charges of assault and resisting arrest.

The injured Australasian Correctional Management (ACM) employee was treated for minorfacial wounds, police said.

"The injured person received a cut to the mouth and nose by someone wielding a stick,"

the police spokesman said.

Officers were called to the airport detention centre about 1pm WST to help ACM staffdeal with two detainees.

"They were acting strangely, covering security cameras and trying to agitate the others,"

the police spokesman said.

When four officers arrived they found one of the men balanced on top of a basketball ring.

Police talked the man down before arresting him and another man over the alleged assaulton the ACM employee.

The arrest sparked protest from two of the other 18 detainees.

These two were also charged with assault.

All four were charged with resisting arrest.

WA Police are also investigating an overnight blaze lit by detainees at the Port Hedlandcentre in WA which caused about $3 million damage.

The blaze followed weekend fires at the Baxter detention centre in South Australiawhich caused about $2.25 million damage.

The Immigration Department has also revealed detainees at the Woomera centre, alsoin SA, had deliberately lit fires yesterday which caused minimal damage.

AAP lk/sco/de

KEYWORD: DETENTION PERTH LEAD