Stewart Gorham: Evil sex sadist to remain in jail after admitting desire to kill at ‘first opportunity’

WA’s most dangerous man — who admitted to wanting to rape and kill at the “first opportunity” upon release — will remain behind bars indefinitely despite completing his prison sentence four years ago. Stewart Sinclair Gorham was jailed for 14 years in 2006 after luring a 12-year-old boy and raping him at knife-point in Willagee. Later that same year, his sentence was extended a further four years after he was found guilty of raping a fellow remand prisoner at Hakea Prison. Gorham was placed on a continuing detention order in October 2022 — which would keep him behind bars indefinitely — after a judge found he had a “pattern of committing violent sexual offences against men and boys”. The order was reviewed the following year amidst concerns Gorham was at “extremely high risk of committing further violent offences”, including rape and murder, and affirmed again last week at his latest case review. Gorham is currently being held in Casuarina Prison’s Special Handling Unit — a secure unit for prisoners posing as a major threat to the jail system. He has previously expressed his desire to remain in the SHU until he dies. “The respondent has repeatedly asserted that if he is released from prison he will commit a very serious violent sexual offence against a juvenile or adult male at the first opportunity that arises,” Justice Anthony Derrick said in 2023. “The respondent has also asserted that he will, if he has the time, proceed to kill his victim.” Last week Justice Michael Gething ordered the detention order be continued after finding Gorham remained a high risk offender who would “inevitably” commit another serious offence. Forensic psychiatrist Dr Gosia Wojnarowska — who diagnosed Gorham with sexual sadism disorder — said Gorham had admitted to being a danger to the community, adding he did “not believe that any type of intervention would ever eliminate his desire to rape and kill people.” She said he had spoken about hiding in the prison carpark, “waiting for the first opportunity to attack a vulnerable male: someone smaller, visible less physically able, walking to his car” upon release. “If not successful with offending in the vicinity to the prison, he would seek homeless youth, possibly on the streets of Northbridge or Perth CBD.” She said Gorham wanted to “fulfill his desire” to kill another human, and that Caucasian middle-aged men were his primary targets. Justice Gething said there was a “clear need” to protect the community from Gorham. “In my assessment, there is no set of conditions that could be made on a supervision order that would come close to ensuring the adequate protection of the community,” she said. Gorham was first jailed for 5½ years in 1991 following a string of violent and sexual offences against two 16-year-old children, including arson, abduction, threats to kill and assault with intent to rape. Just eight years later, Gorham was jailed for 7½ years after bashing his victim — who he met at an alcohol rehabilitation centre — and fracturing their jaw.