A 29-year-old Tongan man has been charged with reckless wounding following an alleged assault on a security officer at Villawood Immigration Detention Centre yesterday.
The man, who was awaiting deportation for visa breaches, allegedly attacked the officer with an improvised weapon on 6 August 2025.
NSW Police arrested the suspect and transferred him to Bankstown Police Station, where he was later charged by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) under Section 35(4) of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW), which carries a maximum penalty of seven years’ imprisonment.
The accused was denied police bail and is set to reappear before Bankstown Local Court tomorrow (8 August 2025). Meanwhile, the injured security officer was treated on-site before being taken to Auburn Hospital for minor injuries.
He has since been discharged.
It follows our report in May, after a high-risk manhunt was underway in Sydney’s west after a 28-year-old Tongan national allegedly stabbed two Australian Border Force officers during a botched deportation attempt.
The detainee, who had been held at Villawood Immigration Detention Centre for overstaying his visa, violently attacked the officers while being transported to Sydney Airport for removal.
Tongan national Paea Teu was being taken from the detention centre to Sydney airport when police allege he attacked two men who were transporting him. He then went on the run for two days.
A 24-year-old woman has also been arrested and charged with knowingly harbouring an escaped inmate.
