Prisoner used toothbrush and razor blades weapon to slash another inmate in neck

A prisoner slashed another inmate's neck with a weapon made from a toothbrush and razor blades for supposedly telling other cons he was a paedophile, a court heard.

David Robson, 27, cut the fellow inmate when he was stood outside his cell in HMP Manchester, commonly referred to as Strangeways, the Manchester Evening News reports.

Manchester Crown Court heard Robson carried out the attack as he believed his inmate had been spreading rumours that he was in prison for sexually abusing children.

Robson was already serving an extended 12-year sentence after biting off the end of a man's nose during an attack in 2014 at the time of the recent incident.

He appeared via video link in court, restrained to a wheelchair and flanked by security guards as he was jailed for three years after admitting a Section 20 wounding without intent.

The court heard that the victim had been moved to HMP Manchester from Liverpool after he was stabbed in a separate attack.

The inmate was placed on to the prison's K wing, designed especially for vulnerable adults – the same wing as Robson.

On February 22 last year, the victim had been standing outside his cell on the third floor of K wing when the Robson approached him from behind, the court heard.

CCTV footage shows the moment that Robson got hold of the victim and used the weapon to inflict 'slash' wounds to the fellow inmate.

The court heard that as he did so, he said to the victim 'you knew this was coming'.

Prosecuting, Simon Barrett said: "The victim suffered a wound to the neck which had to be glued.

"He also received a superficial wound down from his neck towards his collar bone."

Mr Barrett told the court the weapon used was never recovered as Robson claimed he had thrown it from his cell window.

He later admitted to prison guards that the weapon had been fashioned by melting a toothbrush and fixing 'one' or 'two' razor blades to it.

Mr Barrett told the court that the victim had been left 'traumatised' by the incident, and had to seek medication to help him sleep at night.

He said that Robson had nine previous convictions and had been imprisoned at HMP Manchester for a Section 20 wounding without intent and Section 18 wounding with intent to cause serious harm.

The court heard that he was subject to an eight year sentence with an extended license period of four years after a stabbing outside a gym, followed by a separate attack in which Robson had bitten off a part of the victim's nose.

Robson's defence barrister, Michael Brady said in mitigation that his client had undergone psychiatric assessment but did not disclose the contents of the report to open court.

He said: "Clearly the defendant pleaded guilty and when he made admissions to the prison officer he was not aware of the clarity of the CCTV footage."

Judge Richard Mansell QC criticised the Crown Prosecution Service choice of charging, stating that he strongly believed Robson should have been charged with a Section 18 wounding with intent to cause serious harm.

Passing sentence, Judge Mansell said: "I believe you intended to cause a much greater wound which is why I have questioned the charge in this case.

"This was an offence against a particularly vulnerable person.

"He was vulnerable because he had been stabbed at HMP Liverpool the previous year and had been transferred to Manchester’s K wing specifically for vulnerable people.

“You were on that wing for quite different reasons.

“You approached the victim with a manufactured fashioned weapon from behind and slashing him on the right side of his face.

"You then stabbed him in the neck with that weapon.

“You claim this victim had been circulating rumours that you had been in prison for sexual abuse against children.

"I find that hard to accept since he was on this wing because he had previously been stabbed.

“Fortunately for him you only managed to inflict a superficial wound and a deep wound to the neck which was glued.

“You left the victim and his family feeling anxious. Whatever he had done in the first place, he and other prisoners are entitled to feel safe.

“I have no hesitation in concluding you to be a highly dangerous man.

"The mere fact that you appear restrained in a wheelchair and guarded by six guards shows your unpredictable and violent nature."

Robson was sentenced to an extended sentence of five years, with three years in custody and two years consisting of an extended licence period to run alongside his current sentence.

He will serve two thirds of this sentence before being considered for parole.

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