The prisoner who delivered the deadly punch speaks at the inquest

An inmate who beat a fellow inmate to death with a head injury says he has nightmares about the incident.

Grant Steven Bowden, 47, died on December 27, 2018, approximately 14 months after an incident at Otago Correctional Facility (OCF).

A coronation inquiry will begin this week in Dunedin District Court to review his treatment at Otago Correctional Facility, where he was remanded on robbery charges.

Coroner Ally Cunningham assessed whether the events that led to the tragedy were preventable.

Yesterday, the court saw CCTV of the battle that showed a group of prisoners on the playground on November 3, 2017.

Nyar Heke, who was serving a long prison term for sexual assault at the time, said during an inquiry this morning that he went to the mesh fence to see what time Boden had approached.

He said the man challenged him to a fight, which he declined.

Mr. Borden took a fighting stance and there was an initial brawl before a lull.

Footage showed the pair being together again a minute later.

“He danced around me throwing punches,” said Heke.

After dodging several blows, Heke retaliated.

“I didn’t hit him with as much force as I could with that punch,” he said. “It was more of a swing. I just wanted to get him off of me.”

The blow knocked Mr. Bowden backward, his head slamming into the concrete floor.

“His eyes were rolled up behind his head. As soon as he hit the ground, you could see blood coming out of his head, ears and eyes,” Heke said.

A prison guard ushered the prisoner out of the yard so that Mr. Borden could be treated by medical staff.

Heke, who received an additional 15 months in prison for the assault, said he saw the aftermath from a nearby game room window.

“I’m freaking out…I still have nightmares about this,” he said.

Mr. Boden suffered a traumatic head injury and spent 12 days in intensive care. During that time, part of her skull was removed to relieve pressure from her swollen brain.

He can no longer swallow food or liquids.

After being transferred to a residential facility in West Auckland, he developed a severe chest infection.

Mr Boden died at Waitakere Hospital a few days later.

At the inquest, Heke said the men had challenged him the day before but stopped at the request of another inmate.

He said he urged OCF staff to remove Mr. Bowden from the wing, but that did not materialize.

Borden, who suffered from schizophrenia, was initially moved to the remand wing after spending time in the prison’s endangered unit.

Heke said he was acting strangely, leading up to an incident that aggravated others in the unit.

“He was trying to make it rain, doing raindance and stuff,” he said.

Boden’s family described him as “bright, warm and affectionate” and said he enjoyed sports, writing, music and the arts.

It was hard to support him, but they said he taught them a lot about compassion and perseverance.

The hearing continues.