Zak Grieve Part 3: Christopher Malyschko — Prison, Kronic, and a Death in Custody

This is the third and final episode in the Zak Grieve series.

In this episode, we focus on Christopher Malyschko — the man who carried out the killing of Ray Niceforo — and what happened after the trial.

We go through Christopher’s sentencing, including why he received a non-parole period of 18 years instead of the standard 20. The court considered his background, his lack of prior serious offending, and the ongoing abuse and threats within the home that contributed to the situation.

From there, we look at his time in prison. Christopher was described as a model prisoner — working, completing courses, and keeping out of trouble. But like many inmates, he was also dealing with long periods of boredom and limited options, particularly after being transferred from Berrimah Correctional Centre to Darwin Correctional Centre at Holtze.

After the move, prisoners lost access to many of their personal belongings, including books and music, with a promised digital system meant to replace them. That system failed for years, leaving many inmates with very little to occupy their time.

This environment contributed to the widespread use of Kronic — a synthetic cannabis product — inside the prison. In this episode, we examine how that played a role in Christopher’s death in custody, and the findings of the coronial inquest that followed.

This episode also touches on broader issues within the prison system, including supervision, substance use, and whether more could have been done to prevent what happened.

This is a confronting case, and it impacts multiple families — including those of Ray Niceforo, Christopher Malyschko, Zak Grieve, and Darren Halfpenny.

Listener discretion is advised.

Researched and written by: Kellie Arrowsmith

Audio editor: Bar Brawl Records

https://www.facebook.com/BarBrawlRecords

Cover art: http://www.joshbauer.com/

"Skimpy' - a Territory memoir: Kellie Arrowsmith Books - Hachette Australia

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