Inmate hurled pool balls during violence at Doncaster prison

An inmate hurled pool balls at officers during violence in a Doncaster prison in which the governor was hit with a rubbish bin, Sheffield Crown Court heard.
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Simon Booth snapped a pool cue in half and threw it at an officer who tried to get close to him, on J-wing of HMP Lindholme, at 11am on September 2, 2018.

Booth ran up to the first floor landing and jumped on to netting between walkways where he was joined by fellow inmate Colin Richardson, said prosecutor Nicola Quinney.

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CCTV of the disturbance showed Booth throwing pool balls, hitting one officer on the hand and another on the head.

HMP Lindholme.HMP Lindholme.
HMP Lindholme.

While officers struggled to restrain the men with shields, another unidentified inmate threw a bin from an upper landing which hit the prison governor.

Richardson denied throwing anything but accepted holding pool balls.

Ms Quinney said both men had "extensive records" from a young age, mostly for dwelling and non-dwelling burglaries. Booth was serving a 54 month sentence for burglaries, imposed in April 2018. Richardson, who was serving a 32 month sentence at the time for burglary, has since been sentenced to 28 months, in June last year, also for burglary.

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Lauren Fisher, mitigating, said Booth made an early guilty plea, the offence took place nearly two years ago, and his last offence for violence was in 2010.

"He was geared up to be released only to find himself back before the court," she said, adding that he beat his 20-year history of Class A drug addiction last Christmas.

At the time he was taking spice, and struggling to cope with his mental health at the time, Ms Fisher added.

Robert Sandford, for Richardson, said he was angry because his cell was emptied after he refused to take medication.

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"He took no direct action. He is now the violence reduction representative in HMP Doncaster."

Booth, 32, pleaded guilty to affray and Richardson, 33, both of HMP Doncaster, admitted threatening unlawful violence.

Judge Keir Monteith QC said: "I just don't understand why it has taken so long when they both pleaded guilty."

He sentenced Booth to three months and Richardson to two weeks, but this won’t be added to his sentence.

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