A remand prisoner attacked his sleeping cellmate with sugared boiling water and razorblades because he didn't want to share the room. James Moore was on remand at HMP Bristol after being charged with a knife attack.
He warned staff he didn't want to share his cell, but Craig Doel was sent in to join him. After the pair chatted and watched TV, Mr Doel went to sleep.
He was awakened by the feeling of his face "on fire", and found Moore had thrown sugared boiling water over him and was slashing at his arms and legs with two razorblades melted into a toothbrush handle.
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Bristol Crown Court heard Mr Doel fended off Moore with a chair and pressed a panic button. First staff on the scene were unable to get the cell door open but more staff arrived and intervened.
Moore, 32, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Judge Michael Longman categorised him as a dangerous offender after the 'brutal' offence and handed him an extended sentence of nine years, comprising five years' custody and four years' extended licence.
The judge told Moore: "You wanted not to have to share a cell. You injured him on the basis that you felt you needed to do something bad to get something good. Something bad was the commission of this serious offence and inflicting serious injuries on Mr Doel."
Emily Evans, prosecuting, said staff halted the attack and led a ranting Moore away. Mr Doel was taken to a shower room, given first aid for cuts to his arms and taken to hospital.
The court heard Moore had some eight previous convictions for 20 offences. As well as hitting someone with a rock and kicking an emergency worker he stabbed someone in the head, the court heard.
Alex Daymond, defending, said his client suspected he had autistic spectrum disorder and is being assessed accordingly. Mr Daymond told the court: "He thinks that's why he has difficulty sharing closed spaces. He told officers that. He was made to share a cell. It was not pre-planned to a significant degree."
Mr Daymond said Moore was ashamed and sorry for what he had done. Mr Daymond added: "There was no beef with Mr Doel. It was instrumental violence. It was a way of getting him out of a shared cell.
"He recognises the harm he has caused and does regret it. He finds it difficult to share with people, he gets panicky, he gets anxious about it. On this occasion it manifested itself in a violent assault."
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