A YOUNG inmate threw urine over a prison officer and then struck him in the back with a metal bar, a court was told.

Declan Massingham carried out the degrading attack as the lone officer had his back turned, at Deerbolt Young Offenders’ Institution, near Barnard Castle.

Durham Crown Court heard the incident, on July 23, last year, took place as the officer was unlocking a door on E-wing at the institution for offenders aged 18 to 21.

Chris Baker, prosecuting, said the officer felt a liquid over his back and side of the face and then felt the blow in the middle of his back.

Mr Baker said the officer suffered bruising and grazing to his back, and now remains more vigilant at all times while at work.

Massingham was detained and given the chance to be interviewed but refused.

The defendant, now 21 and since transferred to Durham Prison, admitted assault causing actual bodily harm.

Mr Baker said he has relevant convictions, for assaulting a police officer, plus two counts of battery, all on different occasions in 2016.

The offence for which he was serving time in Deerbolt was possessing class A drugs with intent to supply.

He receivied a 54-month custodial sentence, in January last year.

Mr Baker said the Crown submitted that the officer was “vulnerable” at the time, with his back turned to the defendant and there was also the surprise use of a weapon.

He added that there was also the element of “gratuitous degradation” inflicted on the officer, with the use of urine in the attack.

Massingham, from Lincolnshire, chose to represent himself at the hearing.

Asked by Judge Ray Singh what he had to say about the incident, he replied: “I shouldn’t have done what I did. I was out of order.”

Judge Singh asked him why he carried out the attack.

Massingham said: “I can’t remember it. Something must have happened for me to do something like that.”

He told the judge his earliest release date on his existing sentence is in January next year.

Judge Singh told him: “I agree the victim here was ‘vulnerable’ as this was a lone officer with his back turned to you when you carried out the attack.

“Fortunately, the injuries, soft tissue damage and a bruise were sustained, were not the most serious, .”

The judge imposed a 14-month sentence, to run consecutively to the defendant’s existing sentence.