Prisoner stamped on fellow inmate's head after long-running feud

A serving prisoner repeatedly stamped on the head of a fellow inmate in Wakefield prison as he went o get his lunch, a court heard.
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Joe Outlaw attacked the man with a metal flask before stamping and kicking him in the head, Leeds Crown Court was told.

The court was told that Outlaw had a long-running feud with then other prisoner and planned to attack him.

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CCTV screened to the court showed Outlaw loitering on a landing in the cell area of the prison at around 12 noon on September 21, 2019.

Outlaw attacked the inmate at HMP Wakefield.Outlaw attacked the inmate at HMP Wakefield.
Outlaw attacked the inmate at HMP Wakefield.

The victim is then seen heading along the landing carrying his lunch before Outlaw stepped forward and struck the man with the flask.

After he fell to the floor, Outlaw was seen laying into him with kicks and stamps until officers are able to intervene.

The victim suffered a laceration to his head and his eye.

Outlaw, 34, gave no comments during an interview about the incident, but later admitted a charge of actual bodily harm.

He has since been moved to another prison.

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Mitigating, Eddison Flint said that Outlaw had not been prescribed his medication for his ADHD at the time and was in a "heightened state".

He added: "In saying that, there's no excuse for his behaviour.

"He is thoroughly ashamed of his behaviour that day. He accepts his actions were completely unjustifiable."

But he said Outlaw, who has 30 previous convictions and was jailed for robbery in 2011 for an indeterminate length of time, was now taking positive steps with rehabilitation by getting involved in two prison charities.

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Mr Flint added: "He says he can't just keep drifting through the prison system."

Judge Penelope Belcher said: "It was nasty, gratuitous violence.

"It's clear there were tensions between you. He was simply getting his lunch and you laid into him for no good reason."

However, she accepted Outlaw had made significant progress since then and gave him a 10-month sentence to run alongside his previous sentence.