23 February 2024 , 17:56
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An inmate squirted excrement into the face of the governor at a top security jail during a spate of shocking attacks by him on staff.
Raheem Hussain, 30, had already threatened to kidnap one officer at HMP Frankland and take her to a pre-dug grave where he would bury her. He also squirted foul-smelling liquid at another, and spat into the face of a third.
After the sickening excrement attack, the governor faced months of anguish and tests to check if he had contracted any infectious diseases.
Newcastle Crown Court heard the vile behaviour all took place while Hussain, who is serving an indefinite sentence for five robberies and an attempted robbery, was being held in the segregation unit at the Category A men's prison, on the outskirts of Durham.
Previous notorious inmates include Charles Bronson, Michael Adebolajo - who murdered soldier Lee Rigby - former Met Police officer Wayne Couzens - serving life for the murder of Sarah Everard - Soham child killer Ian Huntley, and Levi Bellfield, who murdered 13-year-old Milly Dowler and 22-year-old Amelie Delagrange.
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Serial killers Peter Sutcliffe and Harold Shipman also spent time behind bars at the jail before their deaths. In June 2012 Hussain was sentenced to 948 days, which is less than three years, under the Imprisonment for Public Protection regime, and has now served almost 12 years.
In December 2015 he was convicted of a battery offence while behind bars and in September 2022 he was sentenced to 21 months for four offences of administering noxious substance, which involved him throwing urine and faeces at prison staff.
His latest batch of offending started on November 12, 2022, while in the segregation unit at Frankland, where he had been placed because of his behaviour. Prosecutor Chris Baker told the court Hussain called an officer a "sl*g" and "sl*t", made comments about her appearance, and added: "He threatened to knock her teeth out and went on to say he would wait for her outside prison, get hold of her number plate and track her to her address through a cousin who worked for the DVLA.
"He threatened to set her house on fire, kidnap her, put duct tape around her mouth and take her to a field where he had dug a grave and make her beg for her life before burying her." The court heard the officer "believed every word he said" and was left terrified.
On November 17, 2022, Hussain got hold of an officer's keys and put them up his anus. He was then subjected to a search and spat in the face of one of the officers. Then on January 4, 2023, Hussain squirted a foul liquid through the side of his cell door onto an officer who was stationed outside.
Mr Baker said: "This covered his face and neck. The liquid had a foul smell, the smell was so foul he had to dispose of his uniform." The governor attack happened on January 27 2023. Mr Baker told the court: "As part of his duties, at 8.20am, he went to inspect the cell and approached the inspection hatch. As he did so he was squirted with excrement and liquid onto his face."
The court heard the liquid went into the governor's eyes, mouth and nose and he was taken to hospital for booster jabs, but faced months of anguish and testing to check if he had contracted any potentially deadly infection, which caused fears for his family.
He needed months off work and said in an impact statement: "I still don't feel like the person I was before this assault."
Cainan Lonsdale, defending, said Hussain had spent around 20 months in segregation and his mental health was at an "all-time low" and he was "suffering immensely".
Mr Lonsdale added: "Around two and a half thousand prisoners are serving indeterminate sentences, which are now accepted as inhumane. Former members of the Supreme Court recognise it as the greatest single stain on our criminal justice system."
Hussain admitted administering poison, two charges of assault on an emergency worker and one public order offence.
Recorder Abdul Iqbal KC sentenced Hussain to 34 months. The court heard his release will be determined by the parole board under the Imprisonment for Public Protection provisions.
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