A MAN who took two young Port Macquarie girls from their beds and raped them has been beaten and stabbed in a NSW jail.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Officials believe the attack on Roger David Cheney by three Lithgow jail inmates was apparently sparked by renewed media coverage of his crimes.
Cheney was jailed for a maximum of 30 years for the rape of two young girls abducted from their beds in 1993.
Investigators said Cheney, 45, was stabbed five times in the back and sides and kicked during the attack, which happened about 8.45am on Mon- day in the jail's protective custody sector.
The stab wounds missed his heart, but punctured his lungs, an emergency personnel spokesman said.
Police said Cheney was stabbed within minutes of being released from his protected custody cell, and the attack was believed to be retribution for the rape of the girls.
Lithgow Police said investigations revealed Cheney's fellow protected inmates had twigged to his history following weekend media reports comparing the sentences of NSW's worst criminals to that of a Sydney pack rapist convicted last Thursday. Cheney has identified his alleged attackers.
Cheney's earliest release date is October 21, 2012.
