'Dangerous' prisoner threw jug of human waste into officer's face, court is told

Schizophrenic Mhya Grant also gouged the eye of another officer and threw a flask full of hot water over another in three separate attacks at HMP Wakefield.

The 35-year-old - who is serving a 19-year sentence for violence - is now being held at the high-security psychiatric hospital, Broadmoor and appeared at Leeds Crown Court via video link this week.

Outlining the case for the prosecution, Mehran Nassiri said the first incident took place on January 11, 2018 when Grant told officers at the Love Lane Prison that he wanted to be moved to the segregation unit, but was told there was no room.

He then said that if space could not be made for him then "jaws would be broken".

Less than two hours later he was told to return to his cell for lockdown, but when he refused a struggle broke out between Grant and three officers. He managed to reach round to one officer and sunk his finger into his eye.

The officer suffered minor injuries, the court was told.

The second incident took place on the afternoon of July 9, 2018, while Grant was in the segregation unit of the prison. He had been in his cell when he asked to speak with a female officer.

When she came to his cell door he threw the jug full of human waste in her face, hitting her in the eyes, mouth, hair and arm.

Finally, on July 27, 2018, it was reported that Grant had been constantly ringing the emergency bell in his cell. When an officer attended he told him he wanted his thermos flask filling up and the radio removing from his cell.

The officer duly took the flask, filled it up and handed it back to Grant. When the officer went to pick up the radio, Grant threw the contents of the flask over his head, causing superficial burns.

When interviewed by officers about all three incidents, he told them it was apple juice he had thrown over the officer, denied that he gouged the eye of the other officer and said the water in the thermos flask had been only warm, and not hot.

He eventually accepted two counts of causing actual bodily harm and an intent to injure using noxious substances.

Mitigating, Jane Brady told the court that his mental health had been in decline over that period, and Grant addressed the judge himself telling him he had stopped taking his medication during that period and was unwell.

Ms Brady added: "He has expressed remorse to me and is working towards being able to move into a rehabilitative unit and then back to prison to serve the rest of his sentence."

The court was told that Grant has along history of offending, including robbery, sexual assaults, battery and multiple counts of GBH, for which he was given his lengthy jail term in 2017.

Judge Christopher Batty handed Grant, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia and a personality disorder, a further 33 months' jail, saying he would continue to be treated at Broadmoor and when deemed well enough, would be returned to jail.

He told him: "You are a dangerous man, you represent a serious risk or causing serious harm to the public."