Shropshire prison attack trial: Jail ‘was like an old school movie’
A former prisoner who has said he was assaulted in his cell has described the uncaring environment of prison as being like ‘old school movies’.
Mitchell Downes made the comparison at the trial of the men he said attacked him at Stoke Heath prison, fellow inmates Steven Fletcher and Paul Woods.
Mr Downes, aged 26, was giving evidence relating to the incident on April 4 last year, where he suffered injuries including a collapsed lung.
He claims he was kicked and punched by Fletcher, aged 22, and Woods, aged 28.
They both deny causing Mr Downes grievous bodily harm with intent.
Earlier, the court heard that Mr Downes was attacked inside his first floor cell at the prison, after he requested a move to another prison.
A jury heard that he angled for a move because he wanted to end an arrangement with another prisoner for who he would hold amounts of the synthetic drug Mamba and a mobile phone for periods of time.
The case so far:
At Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday Mr Downes said of the atmosphere in the prison: “I could relate it to old school movies.
“Nobody was willing to help. Nobody would talk about what anyone else was doing because they knew what would happen after.
“There could be threats, physical violence, sexual violence, stabbings.”
He said that it was fear of reprisals after other prisoners found out about his move that led him to barricade himself in his cell with chests of drawers.
Representing Fletcher, Gareth Bellis put it to Mr Downes that he had taken some of the drugs himself on the day of the incident, and that Fletcher came into the cell because he wanted to help him.
Mr Downes added: “Approaching the end of my sentence I didn’t want to risk getting more time onto it.”
Fletcher, of Lancashire, and Woods, of Liverpool, both deny the allegations and the trial continues.
