A young offender has told a jury how a prison officer would regularly assault him during his time in the Medomsley Detention Centre.
Alexander Flavell is accused of carrying out physical and sexual abuse on a number of inmates at the County Durham facility during the late 1960s and early 70s.
Last month, it was ruled that the 89-year-old was unfit to stand trial but a jury will rule on the facts of the charges that he is facing, including two charges of assault, one of indecent assault and another of buggery.
A jury at Teesside Crown Court will make a ruling on the facts after listening to evidence from a number of complainants.
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The fourth complainant to giving evidence to the jury said he was sent to the Detention Centre for three months for stealing £2.70 worth of lead.
The witness says that the first thing that happened to him when he arrived was that he was 'clouted' for no reason.
He said on one occasion they were ordered to strip to their waist in the hailstone after one of the inmates started eating a turnip while on gardening duty.
The final complainant says he was hit from behind when he first arrived at the detention centre causing him to bang his head on the wall leaving him with an 'egg' on his head.
On another occasion he says Flavell hit his hand with a hot utensil while serving in the kitchens and was left with a burn on his hand.
He says he didn't experience any sexual abuse and was unaware of anyone else being abused.
The most serious allegation came from one complainant who said Flavell took him the see a nurse at the Centre for treatment but was instead raped by the accused and a male nurse, known as Dr Death.
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Another complainant, who has since died, said Mr Flavell broke his arm by repeatedly smashing it against a wall.
The misconduct charge, which spans 1969 to 1975, related to a number of complainants who alleged Mr Flavell committed acts of violence on them, the court heard.
The defendant denied the offences when the allegations were put to him but had since become too ill to stand trial and was not present at court, jurors were told.
The trial continues.
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