A coronial inquiry which resumed yesterday at the Dunedin District Court, after a three month hiatus, has heard the man was a resident in unit 33’s G wing when the assault occurred.
But the identity of the senior corrections officer (SCO) in charge of that wing on the day in question remains a mystery.
Earlier this year, the court viewed CCTV footage of the incident, in which Bowden appeared to spar with fellow inmate Nyal Heke.
A flurry of punches left the victim sprawled on the concrete, bleeding heavily, and body-cam footage from prison officers showed the aftermath as staff hurriedly applied first aid.
A severe head injury left Bowden unable to swallow food or fluids and he eventually developed a chest infection which led to his death at the end of 2018.
Kenneth Burt, who left his job at the prison in 2020, was the SCO in unit 33’s neighbouring H wing, but in the witness box yesterday he was unable to shed light on who held the equivalent role in the adjoining block where Bowden was housed.
He told the inquiry it was common for junior officers to take on the responsibility on a temporary basis if there was a vacancy.
"There was [complaining] between staff about who was going to act [as SCO] and who wasn’t. It all involved money," Mr Burt said.
Performing the role resulted in an extra $40 pay, he said.
Bowden was originally placed in the at-risk unit but later joined the general remand population.
"It may be difficult to place Mr Bowden in mainstream but it’s worth a try, so please closely watch his behaviour for the next few days," a nurse wrote to a range of senior staff.
One of the recipients was the unit SCOs superior, principal corrections officer Sean Francis.
He told the court yesterday that he had relayed the concerns at a morning briefing just days before the violent incident — but several staff members who were working the wing said they had no recollection of that.
Under cross-examination, Mr Francis agreed the systems for recording and distributing significant information on prisoners could have been more robust.
Paul Black, who was the prison’s acting custodial systems manager at the time, wrote an event review following the attack.
That report also did not specify who the SCO on G wing was on the day in question.
While Mr Black offered a name, that officer denied it when earlier giving evidence.
"I was comfortable all staff involved complied with their duties," Mr Black’s review concluded.
It did, however, offer five recommendations, or "lessons learned".
Heke’s lawyer Adriana Pinnock said the report suggested the systems in place at the time were deficient.
"I don’t disagree with you," Mr Black said.
Coroner Allie Cunninghame will consider Bowden’s treatment in the prison, the standard of healthcare he received and, ultimately, whether the incident which led to his death was preventable.
The inquiry continues.
