A violent career criminal on parole for ferociously bashing a prison officer who died six weeks later has committed a string of crimes without being forced to complete his original sentence.
Carl Edward Little remained at liberty despite being convicted of domestic violence, carrying a knife and driving a vehicle with an illicit drug in his system.
The 56-year-old is also the subject of an apprehended violence order made barely a year after he was granted parole and has failed to appear in court.
He was charged with having custody of knife in a public place just six months after being released on parole and allowed to go free with no bail conditions.
Little has been in and out of jail since he was a teenager and has convictions for scores of offences including robbery in company, serious assaults, escaping lawful custody and parole breaches.
His disciplinary record in prison is appalling – featuring multiple assaults, threatening behaviour, acts of intimidation, destruction of property and failed drug tests.
Police issued a public appeal for help finding Little last Thursday in a press release which said he was wanted for domestic violence offences but made no mention of his shocking criminal history.
He had been living in the Riverina district of southern NSW since being released in August 2024 with more than three years left to run on his maximum sentence for a savage and unprovoked assault on prison officer Wayne Smith.
Carl Edward Little, a violent career criminal on parole for ferociously bashing a prison officer who died six weeks later, has committed a string of crimes without being forced to complete his original sentence. Little is pictured
Little was serving a sentence for armed robbery in western Sydney’s minimum security Silverwater Correctional Centre when he set upon Mr Smith in December 2006 after being told he was being moved to a more secure facility.
The then 37-year-old inmate repeatedly punched Mr Smith in the face until he fell unconscious to the ground then continued to kick and stomp on his head.
Mr Smith’s injuries, which including multiple jaw fractures, were so severe they were compared to what would normally be seen as the result of a high-speed car crash.
The 57-year-old married father-of-two underwent surgery to reconstruct his face but had suffered a catastrophic brain injury.
He remained in a semi-conscious state, went into cardiac arrest at Westmead Hospital almost six weeks after the attack, and two days later was taken off life support.
Little had been moved to Silverwater from Lithgow in October 2026, a week after his security classification was reduced from A2 (maximum) to C1 (minimum) without passing through the intermediate B (medium) category.
Upon arrival at Silverwater, now known as Dawn de Loas Correctional Centre, he had begun standing over and assaulting other inmates, prompting prison authorities to upgrade his security classification to B.
Little pleaded guilty in the NSW District Court to causing grievous bodily harm with intent to murder Mr Smith, as well as assaulting three other prison officers during the same rampage.
Little was in Sydney’s minimum security Silverwater Correctional Centre when he set upon prison officer Wayne Smith in December 2006. The jail, now known as Dawn do Loas Correctional Centre, is pictured
He was sentenced to a minimum 15 years and three months with an additional parole period of five years and three months by Judge Roy Ellis.
‘It’s hard to imagine a worse example of a determined effort to kill a man for no real reason,’ Judge Ellis said in sentencing.
Little served most of his time surrounded by serial killers, terrorists and other uncontrollable inmates in Goulburn’s High Risk Management Correctional Centre, better known as Supermax.
His longest stint in Australia’s most secure jail ran from 2010 to 2023 when his fellow prisoners included backpacker killer Ivan Milat, mass murderer Malcolm Baker and Brothers 4 Life gang founder Bassam Hamzy.
Little’s minimum prison term expired in January 2023 but that year the Serious Offenders Review Council (SORC) advised parole was not appropriate.
In July the following year the State Parole Authority (SPA) revealed SORC and Community Corrections supported Little’s supervised release and he left custody on August 5, 2024.
‘Keeping him in custody is only likely to lead to further institutionalisation… (but) release to parole with close supervision and good family support… is more likely to foster his reintegration and the protection of the public,’ SORC determined.
The State of NSW had made not submissions to SPA opposing parole for Little.
Little has been in and out of jail since he was a teenager and has convictions for scores of offences including robbery in company. He is pictured 11 days after attacking Mr Smith
Among the specific conditions placed on Little’s parole were that he not use a prohibited drug, in addition to the usual orders he be of good behaviour and not commit any offences.
Little’s parole does not expire until April 24, 2028.
The Daily Mail can reveal Little was charged with having custody of knife in a public place in February last year and was issued a court attendance notice without any bail conditions.
He faced Wagga Wagga Local Court five times between March and July on the knife charge before he was arrested in October on further offences.
Little was refused bail on a domestic violence-related charge of stalk/intimidate with intent to cause fear of physical harm from October 9 to December 3 when he was sentenced.
On November 5, while in custody, he agreed to the variation of an apprehended violence order taken out on October 7 to protect his partner.
That order was made by magistrate Gareth Christofi in Wagga Wagga Local Court and put in place for one year, 11 months and three days.
Little faced the same court on December 3 when he pleaded guilty to the stalk/intimidate charge. He was convicted, placed on a 12-month community correction order by Mr Christofi and again released.
Little’s disciplinary record in prison is appalling. Dawn de Loas Correctional Centre, formerly known as Silverwater Correctional Centre, is pictured
On the same day, Little pleaded guilty to the knife charge from February and was convicted and fined $100 by Mr Christofi.
Little was arrested again on January 7 and spent a night in custody.
He was back before Wagga Wagga Local Court on January 8 charged with ‘police pursuit – not stop – drive dangerously’, exceeding the speed limit by more than 45km/h and possess/attempt to possess a prescribed restricted substance.
Acting magistrate Ray Plibersek – the brother of federal social services minister Tanya Plibersek – granted bail on condition Little attend Calvary rehabilitation centre in Wagga Wagga and adjourned all matters to January 19.
He was released into the custody of a particular individual and was to advise the officer in charge of Wagga Wagga police station of his residential address by 5pm.
Community Corrections provided the SPA with a breach of parole report regarding Little on January 13.
Little did not show up at Wagga Wagga Local Court last Wednesday when he was listed to appear on a charge of driving a vehicle with an illicit drug in his system.
Hee was convicted in his absence by Mr Christofi, fined $250 and disqualified from driving for three months.
He was charged with having custody of knife in a public place just six months after being released on parole and allowed to go free with no bail conditions. Dawn de Loas jail is pictured
The next afternoon – last Thursday – police issued a public appeal to locate Little, stating he was wanted on outstanding warrants for domestic violence offences.
Police released a mugshot of the wanted man and described him as of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander appearance, about 165cm-175cm tall, of medium build with grey hair and brown eyes.
No mention was made of his criminal history.
Users of a Facebook page popular with serving and retired prison officers, The Last Governor, were stunned Little had ever been released.
‘One of the spicier lowlives you get to know doing the circuits, behaviour and odour,’ one commented.
‘Scum sucking, oxygen thieving piece of s***,’ another wrote.
A third added: ‘When I was working at Parramatta Court, I took him for sentencing, real POS.’
‘I see some people call him a grub, that is a an insult to grubs and all small organisms that break down rubbish. This man should never have been let of gaol.’
Police issued a public appeal for help finding Little last Thursday in a press release which said he was wanted for domestic violence offences. A cell at Dawn de Loas prison is pictured
Little was arrested on Friday morning and hit with a string of fresh domestic-violence related charges which saw him refused bail by police.
He is now accused of 13 new offences including two counts each of being armed with intent to commit an indictable offence, stalk/intimidate with intent to cause fear of physical harm and contravening an AVO.
He is further charged with two counts of aggravated break, enter and steal, and one count of intentionally choking a person, destroying or damaging property, entering a prescribed premises, carrying a cutting weapon and common assault.
When Little’s case was mentioned in an online bail court on Saturday, Legal Aid solicitor Palistha Chitrakar said her client would not be making a release application.
‘I’m not surprised,’ replied acting magistrate McLachlan.
Ms Chitrakar submitted Little had not breached his bail by failing to attend Calvary rehab as he was not given a specific date to attend.
Mr McLachlan agreed, formally refused bail and adjourned all matters to be mentioned in Wagga Wagga Local Court on Monday.
The SPA’s general practice is to not make any decision about revoking an offender’s parole until all outstanding charges against them are finalised by the courts.
Little was first locked up as an adult aged 18 in November 1987 and has been behind bars at Long Bay, Goulburn, Lithgow, Bathurst, Maitland and Parklea.
He is currently in Junee Correctional Centre.
