Officer hurt as inmates brawl
A PRISON officer lost consciousness after a brawl in a young offender’s institution, a court heard. Fighting broke out after the alleged perpetrator walked into the bathroom unit.
A PRISON officer lost consciousness after a brawl in a young offender’s institution, a court has heard.
Jaigo Edwards and Kyle Hipgrave left two officers bruised and injured after joining the “melee” at HMP Parc Prison, Bridgend, on April 6 last year.
Yesterday, Cardiff Crown Court heard how Edwards, 18, and Hipgrave, 18, had been using the shower facilities in the young offender’s institution when another inmate dropped a bottle of urine in a separate area.
Fighting broke out after the alleged perpetrator walked into the bathroom unit, followed by members of staff.
Gareth James, prosecuting, said officers at the institute had sought to take control of the situation after fearing a “potting” would take place using urine collected and hidden around the building. Potting, he explained, is the act of throwing faeces and urine over an inmate.
But the situation escalated after inmates began to “kick” and “punch” staff.
Mr James said: “A prison officer became involved – Michael Wrapham – who was taking control of the situation. He was then attacked. The prosecution’s case is that Mr Edwards was one of at least two others who attacked Mr Wrapham as he was attempting to escort [another juvenile] from the shower area.
“Jaigo Edwards and a white male had begun throwing punches at Mr Wrapham. He was taken to the floor by other officers and was kicking out whilst on the floor.”
The court heard how Hipgrave had also started to “misbehave” during the disturbance when he was spotted by prison officer Gaynor Parsons.
Mr James said: “Ms Parsons saw Mr Hipgrave was misbehaving and getting himself involved in this incident. She had known him for some time and she thought she had quite a good working relationship with Mr Hipgrave. She took him by the waist. He flung his arm back and struck her in the face. As a result of that blow she recalls blood falling on her arm dripping from her nose.”
Ms Parsons described losing consciousness after being hit by others falling to the floor.
Mr James said: “She describes how she fell to the floor. At that point an inmate and some officers fell on top of them.
One officer managed to pull her out but at that point she lost consciousness. She was put in the recovery position while dealing with the incident. She woke up in the recovery position still in the shower unit.”
As a result of the incident, the prison officer was left with two black eyes, a swollen nose and scratches to her neck.
Mr Wrapham was also left with a black eye and suffered from a “severe” headache the following day.
The court heard how both defendants had been 17 at the time of the incident but appeared in Crown Court after turning 18.
Judge Neil Bider criticised the delay in sentencing the defendants.
He said: “There has been a most unfortunately delay. You are both young men who have turned 18 but you may have had reasonable expectations to have been dealt with as a juvenile in youth court.
“Violence in prisons cannot be tolerated. My judgement is that as a matter of principle this should be something dealt with consecutively to your sentence.”
Edwards was sentenced to two months in a young offenders institution for affray, while Hipgrave was sentenced to three months. Both will serve their sentences consecutively to their original sentences.