Mert Ney, a man serving a lengthy prison sentence for a fatal 2019 stabbing spree in Sydney, is facing additional charges for alleged assaults and offenses within Australia's highest-security prison. Ney, 27, is currently held at the High Risk Management Correctional Centre, also known as Supermax, in Goulburn.
Last week, Ney appeared in Goulburn Local Court in connection with seven charges, the oldest dating to 2024 and the most recent to earlier this year. He is accused of four assaults on prison officers, possessing an offensive weapon, being armed with intent to commit an indictable offense, and damaging property. Ney has pleaded not guilty to the weapon and property charges, as well as at least one of the alleged assaults. All matters are scheduled for a further mention in court on August 12.
In May 2021, Ney was sentenced to a maximum of 44 years with a non-parole period of 33 years after pleading guilty to the murder of 24-year-old Michaela Dunn and wounding another woman in August 2019. During the attack, Ney stabbed Dunn in her Clarence Street apartment before wounding another woman with a kitchen knife on York Street. His violent spree was halted by members of the public who subdued him with chairs and a milk crate.
Justice Peter Johnson described the 2019 attack as 'a cruel, brutal and terrifying attack made for no reason,' but did not impose a life sentence due to Ney's mental illness. In October 2023, Ney's sentence was reduced by the Court of Criminal Appeal to a maximum of 40 years with a minimum of 30.
Prior to his transfer to Supermax, Ney was held at Parklea Correctional Centre, where he assaulted another inmate in March 2021. In October of that year, he received an additional 15 months for assaulting a prison officer.
Further incidents include setting his cell alight in June 2022, for which he was convicted of intentionally or recklessly damaging property by fire. He told police the fire was started because he was 'sick of lockdowns.' In December 2022, Ney was stabbed by another inmate at Supermax. In February 2023, he received an additional 15 months for throwing boiling water on an inmate. In July 2024, a Corrective Services officer was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries after Ney allegedly slashed him with a makeshift weapon. He was also accused of destroying a light switch, power outlet, and five perspex sheets between July and August 2024. In November 2024, Ney reportedly jumped on a computer desk brandishing a razor blade and kicked an audio-visual screen, leading officers to use gas to subdue him.
During his sentencing for Ms. Dunn's murder, Ney stated he had booked an appointment with her without intending to have sex. He recounted that when he produced a knife, she screamed, and he stabbed her in the neck 'to make her be quiet,' admitting he 'destroyed lives for no reason.' He described inflicting numerous stab wounds on Ms. Dunn. Following the murder, Ney sent a video of himself with the victim's body to a friend and instructed them to call the police, stating, 'I'm f***ing psycho.' He then donned a balaclava and continued his attack on the streets.
Ney's defense barrister questioned him about his actions, to which Ney responded he believed it was a 'point of no return' and he had to 'fully commit' to getting killed. When asked about murdering Ms. Dunn, he replied, 'f***ing shit,' adding, 'I'm not even sure why I did it.' He listed his regular transgressions as drug use, alcohol, gambling, pornography consumption, and hiring sex workers.
Upon his arrest in 2019, Ney was found with a USB drive containing footage of the Christchurch mosque shootings. He stated he had watched the footage repeatedly and was 'really obsessed with it.' While Ney had shouted 'Allahu Akbar' and performed an Islamic State salute before being apprehended, he denied religious extremism, claiming he had feigned terrorism to provoke police into shooting him. He was diagnosed with anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.