£180,000 of damage after inmates went on rampage

INMATES hurled pool balls at staff, smashed CCTV cameras and lit a fire in a prison riot lasting seven hours.

Almost £180,000-worth of damage was caused in the trouble at HMP Featherstone, near Wolverhampton.

Now three men have been handed longer jail terms for their parts in the riot, on August 29, 2017.

Jamie Biddle, Darren Hart and Carl Baker were all serving prisoners at the time.

Stafford Crown Court heard Biddle started throwing pool balls from the third floor of House 5 down at prison officers on the ground floor. One ball smashed through the staff room window – narrowly missing prison officers inside.

Hart was seen taking pool balls up to Biddle and officers were quickly taken off the house unit for their own safety. Biddle and Hart were witnessed on CCTV causing serious damage to House 5, by throwing furniture and other items, and smashing alarms and CCTV cameras.

Prisoners had completely taken over the wing of the prison.

A fire was also started on the house unit and the compliant prisoners had to extinguish it themselves.

The prison mutiny warning was read out to prisoners several times through a loudhailer.

But the inmates continued to riot, eventually barricading themselves into a cell on the third floor.

Biddle, aged 30, and Hart,

51, pleaded guilty on January 18 to a charge of participating in a prison mutiny.

Baker, 43, pleaded guilty in a hearing on January 27.

Biddle was sentenced to four years, Hart to three years four months, and Baker to two years four months.

Prisons and Probation Minister Alex Chalk MP said: “This kind of behaviour will never be tolerated. The safety of our staff and prisoners is our priority and we will continue to work closely with the police to push for the strongest possible punishment for anyone jeopardising this, including more time behind bars.”

Officer in the case Aimi Hanlon, of Staffordshire

Police, said: “Thankfully no-one was seriously hurt, but a lot of damage was caused and the incident continued for some time due to the violence and threat used by these men. “They now have to serve extended sentences due to their actions.”

The total cost of damage to the house unit was

£179,088.44.