Inmate who forced plastic into Wellingborough prison officer's eye given extra time behind bars

An inmate who forced plastic into a Wellingborough prison officer’s eye ranted that he wanted the victim arrested as he was jailed.

Mark Dyer told a court that he had only pleaded guilty so he could get the police involved about what happened while he was at HMP Five Wells.

The 35-year-old, who is serving a 54-month sentence for an unrelated offence, was handed extra time behind bars for violence which spanned three days in 2022.

On Friday (March 8) Northampton Crown Court heard Dyer was an inmate at the category C prison on September 17 and was ‘upset’ about unpaid wages.

Prosecutor Quiana Fitzpatrick said he refused to go back to his cell before self-harming and did not want to see healthcare staff.

He then put his hands in a fist and said: “You think you are going to put hands on me?”

Dyer, who appeared at court over videolink from HMP Peterborough, was restrained by a prison officer who lost balance and gained control of his head.

Ms Fitzpatrick said: “As he was holding his head he (Dyer) bit him to his hand and kneed him to the head several times.”

The prison officer had to have a tetanus injection. Dyer later flooded his cell and damaged it, threatening officers.

The following day he attempted to kick a prison officer and called him a ‘black c***’ before being taken to his cell. As the cell door was shut he threw a cup at another officer, hitting him on the head but causing no injury.

On September 19 the most serious assault took place against the officer he had thrown the cup at the previous day.

Ms Fitzpatrick said Dyer threatened to kill himself and officers went into his cell wearing helmets and shields.

Dyer put his arm around the neck of one officer and dug a piece of plastic to his right eye, causing a scratch to the eye.

The court heard that the officer is partially blind in his left eye and was concerned this would make him lose his sight.

Ms Fitzpatrick, reading a victim impact statement, said he was vulnerable and on edge.

She said: “He needs to sit with a wall behind him so he knows no-one is coming.”

Dyer, who has convictions for 67 previous offences, went on to plead guilty to two charges of assault causing actual bodily harm, one of assaulting an emergency worker and one of racially aggravated causing harassment, alarm or distress.

He sacked his own barrister just before the sentencing hearing was due to start and chose to represent himself instead.

Dyer told the court that he had a number of mental health conditions and staff had stopped giving him his medication.

He claimed officers attacked him first and that digital footage ‘had been edited several times’.

He said: “I am going to be totally honest, the only reason I have pleaded guilty is because I want to get this out of the way so I can get the police involved.

"I want them arrested for attacking me.”

Dyer added that when he is medicated he is a ‘fairly decent person’.

Recorder Timothy Green KC jailed him for a total of 20 months.