A NSW prison officer who sexually abused female inmates at a western Sydney jail left his victims scarred by fear, shame and loneliness, a court has heard.
Wayne Gregory Astill, 66, faced a sentence hearing on Friday at Downing Centre District Court on 34 charges relating to abuse at Dillwynia Correctional Centre, in the city's northwest.
The charges include aggravated sexual assault and indecent assault of a victim under authority, inciting an act of indecency and misconduct in public office.
The prison guard was found guilty of the offences at a jury trial in October.
At Friday's hearing, statements from three of Astill's victims were read in court, detailing the impact of his offending at the prison on the women's lives.
One of the victims spoke of the shame and embarrassment she felt due to the abuse, saying she no longer trusted people, even friends.
"I always live in fear," the woman's statement, read by a prison official, said.
"It's not OK to be hurt in this way, I did not deserve this and how can I move forward in my life after this?
"I always feel shame inside me ... I can't stand my body anymore."
Another victim, via her statement, told the court she blamed herself for what happened and endured the abuse until speaking up about Astill's conduct.
As a result of the abuse, she said experienced extreme depression, suffered panic attacks and anxiety, and had become "a changed person".
"I don't trust people especially older males," the victim said in her statement.
A third victim, who read her statement via AVL, said Astill, via his offending, violated the duty he had as a prison officer to protect inmates.
She said she never trusted Astill, recalling that he groomed, harassed, stalked and assaulted her, despite her telling him many times not to touch her.
"You knew I was trapped and isolated," she said, telling the court that Astill's offending made her life a "complete nightmare" in prison.
Due to the abuse, which she said was part of a "toxic culture", the victim said she was now hypervigilant, constantly on edge and felt "huge amounts of guilt".
"Now being in custody you will experience what it's like to be vulnerable," she said.
Astill, who was in the dock for the hearing, showed little emotion as the statements were read out.
Judge Gina O'Rourke adjourned the matter part-heard to November 10.
