Killer ‘goaded’ officers into cell before attack
A MURDERER “goaded” prison officers to enter his cell before launching a violent attack on staff.
Wyndham Thomas, 40, is serving a life sentence for the murder of a taxi driver in Nantyffyllon, Maesteg, 21 years ago.
Christopher Williams was fatally stabbed in the heart in 1997 after he confronted a trio of men, including Thomas, when he returned to find them burgling his home.
In 2010 Thomas absconded from Prescoed open prison near Usk, Monmouthshire, before being recaptured a few days later.
In his latest offence, a court heard he bit, punched and kicked prison officers at Wayland Prison, near Thetford in Norfolk.
Norwich Magistrates’ Court heard he had been returned to his cell when he became violent and started “smashing” pieces of furniture.
Paul Roach, prosecuting, said Thomas made repeated threats to prison workers and “goaded staff to enter the cell and said he would hurt them”.
At one point during the 15-minute incident, the defendant threatened to hurt himself.
“Considerable violence was meted out” by Thomas who bit, punched and kicked prison officers, said Mr Roach.
One of the officers was punched twice to the head, another received a bite to his arm while another had to retreat after being punched in the head, during the incident on August 28 last year.
In victim impact statements read out on behalf of the injured officers, they described how they “feared for their safety”.
Thomas, currently of HMP Stocken in Leicestershire, appeared in court and admitted three counts of assaulting an officer in the execution of their duty.
Representing himself, Thomas said he had “nothing” to say about the incident and had subsequently been “transferred out”.
He told the court he was waiting for an appeal in relation to his life sentence. Magistrates sentenced him to a total of 16 weeks in custody, which will run concurrently with his current sentence.