Jail terms for Stoke Heath Prison attackers

Stephen Fletcher, 22, from Liverpool, and Paul Woods, 28, from Birmingham, were found guilty at trial of causing grievous bodily harm to Mitchell Downes at Stoke Heath on April 4 last year. Jamie Richards, from Swansea, pleaded guilty to the offence before trial and to assaulting a prison officer.

The attack happened inside Mr Downes’s cell after he requested a move to another prison.

David Jackson, prosecuting, said that following the assault on Mr Downes, the attackers were moved to the segregation unit. On April 11, a prison officer visited Richards and found him being disruptive and threatening to smash up his cell.

Mr Jackson said: “He threatened the prison officer who could see him holding a plastic bag in his hand. He threw the bag of excrement through the gap in the door and it hit the officer.”

He also read out a victim impact statement from Mr Downes who said that since the attack he feared someone related to his attackers would find him and hurt him again.

He added that he had been more affected mentally than by his physical injuries. He suffered a partially collapsed lung in the attack.

How the case unfolded:

• Prisoners guilty of attack on Shropshire jail inmate

• Accused 'was trying to help' victim

• Alleged victim 'always on Black Mamba'

• Jail ‘was like an old school movie’

• Footage of two prisoners forcing open barricaded cell door shown to jury

• Shropshire prison inmate called ‘snitch’ before vicious attack, court told

Trevor Meagan, representing Woods, said: “In this case it was just a minor pneumothorax that didn’t require surgery or any lasting treatment.

“Mr Woods has used his time in prison constructively. He is a young man who has spent a large portion of his life in prison.”

Gareth Bellis, for Fletcher, said the medical evidence suggested Mr Downes’ injuries were not that serious. “In Mr Fletcher’s case, there are no relevant previous convictions,” he said.

Stephen Donnelly, representing Richards, asked for the lowest sentence possible to be given. However he said the attack on the prison guard was “nasty and ill-tempered”.

Judge Anthony Lowe referred to the attack as a ‘punishment beating’. He added: “Your victim had no means of defending himself. He barricaded himself inside his cell.”

He sentenced Woods to three-and-a-half years in prison, to run concurrent with his existing sentence. Fletcher received three years to run consecutive with his current sentence for the assault, and six months concurrent for possession of mobile phone components.

Richards was given 18 months for the attack and a further three months for assaulting a police officer. He was sentenced to a total of 21 months to run consecutive to the sentence he is currently serving.