Chilton man on life sentence carried out prolonged attack on cellmate

Durham Crown Court heard that the incident took place on the night after Liam Hall was admitted to prison on remand following serious violent offending on a women and two girls for which he subsequently received a life sentence.

The court was told Hall was considered to have been suffering a paranoid psychotic episode when he carried out the night-time assault on a cell-mate at HMP Durham, following his admission in September 2021.

Deborah Smithies, prosecuting, said the victim of the prison assault was transferred to F-wing and initially placed in a cell alone.

Read more: County Durham cagefighter jailed for 'terrifying attacks' has sentence increased

But on September 14 he was joined by Hall, who he recalled was wearing a cast on his ankle, so he offered him the lower bunk.

Miss Smithies said the complainant believed they initially seemed to get on well, but during the first night he was awoken by the defendant kicking him from below.

He turned around to see Hall who accused him of having a knife, and so he put up his hands to show him he was unarmed.

When the defendant climbed up to the top bunk, the cellmate shouted for help.

Hall pushed him off the top bunk and he fell against furniture, but he managed to press the alarm button.

Miss Smithies said the defendant then dropped down from the top bunk and picked up the plastic kettle which he used to smash off the back of his cellmate’s head.

Hall then punched him to the head and body, before putting him in a tight headlock, which left the other inmate gasping for breath, fearing he would lose consciousness.

A prison officer, alerted by the alarm, reached the cell and saw through the hatch that he victim was covered in blood and shouting for help.

But, as the defendant claimed there was a knife present, the officer was reluctant to enter the cell without back-up.

Miss Smithies said the injured inmate did lose consciousness and Hall picked up a large cabinet which he raised upwards and threatened to bring it down on the prone victim’s head.

As further prison officers reached the cell, Hall was urged to put down the cabinet, which he ignored.

The cell was then entered and the officers managed to restrain Hall, who was removed while medical treatment was administered on the victim.

He was taken to hospital and treated for a 6cm gash to the back of the head, bruising to both eyes, the back of the head and to his foot.

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Miss Smithies said when the defendant was interviewed he claimed to have genuinely believed his cellmate had a knife and tried to attack him.

She said a psychiatrist’s assessment of Hall concluded he did not have a mental illness, but at the time of the incident was suffering a paranoid psychotic episode brought on by opiate misuse prior to him being admitted to the prison.

The 35-year-old defendant, a former cagefighter, previously of Chilton, County Durham, admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent, at a previous hearing.

Miss Smithies said Hall’s antecedent history was “significant”, with his ten convictions for 17 offences including one for manslaughter in 2010, wounding in both 2012 and 2016, and then wounding with intent and attempted wounding with intent on a women and two girls in 2021 for which he received a life sentence.

Following an appeal, the sentence was given a minimum term of ten years and eight months to be spent behind bars.

Read more: Chilton attacker Liam Hall is a killer who punched man in pub

Mark Styles, for Hall, said given his previous offending history: “It’s a wonder he was placed in a cell with someone in there with him.

Mr Styles said it was “noteworthy” that the defendant came across as being “paranoid” as he had just returned to the prison for treatment to an ankle following the incident for which he received the life sentence.

“This was only five days after that other incident and the defendant had always been kept away from other inmates.”

Mr Styles said Hall, who is now in HMP Garth, in Lancashire, is awaiting a transfer to another prison, “where work can be carried out with him”.

Judge Kidd said it was fortunate that the cellmate was not, “gravely injured”.

She said it appeared that at the time of the prison attack Hall was still suffering the “after-effects” of heavy intoxication of drink and amphetamines which played a part in his offending days earlier.

“That paranoid psychosis was brought about by your voluntary intoxication at a time you were on licence.

“It’s merciful the injuries sustained by this complainant were not significantly worse.

“It’s lucky the prison officers were able to go in and disarm you of that cabinet after you had already attacked him with a kettle, causing a wound to the back of the head, before putting him in a choke hold to leave him unconscious.”

Read next:

* Man admits violently attacking three people in Chilton

* Martial arts expert back behind bars after knife attack on soldier

* Manslaughter charge denied

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Judge Kidd told Hall he has, “a terrible record for offences of violence”.

She imposed a four-year prison sentence for the prison attack and made it consecutive to the ten years and eight-months minimum life sentence he is already serving.

Judge Kidd said following expiry of the minimum term of the life sentence, Hall will then have to serve two-thirds of the four-year sentence, 32 months, before being released on life licence.