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Bristol Post
Bristol Post
National
Geoffrey Bennett

Inmate who bit HMP Bristol prison officer jailed for a further three years

An inmate at HMP Bristol, who sank his teeth into a prison officer when he was restrained, has received more jail time.

Lee Sage was agitated and abusive after a prison visit, Bristol Crown Court heard.

When officers tried to restrain him in his cell Sage bit a chunk out of officer Paul Harsant's right forearm.

Sage 33, of Kings Weston Avenue in Lawrence Weston, denied unlawful wounding in June last year.

A jury found him guilty by a majority of 11-1.

The recorder Mr Paul Dunkels QC jailed him for three years.

Mr Harsant told the jury he was working on D-Wing when Sage, known to abuse the drug Spice, was returning to his cell.

He said Sage was "quite argumentative" with senior officer (SO) Darren Liddington before the inmate slammed the door of his cell shut.

Mr Harsant told the court: "Mr Sage was being verbally aggressive to the senior officer.

"It was just about what he would do to him on the out."

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Mr Liddington returned to the cell and opened the door to try and calm Sage down, the court heard.

Mr Harsant said: "Senior officer Liddington asked Mr Sage what his problem was and why he was being aggressive towards him."

With that there was a bang, Mr Harsant said, and the incident escalated into SO Liddington restraining Sage.

Mr Harsant said in the struggle  which ensued Sage bit him.

He said: "I had my arm a foot away from his face.

"I reached to get his arm and then he bit me.

"It was very forceful, it was one, clean bite.

"I screamed he had bit me."

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As other officers assisted Mr Harsant went to the prison's health care unit before being taken for treatment at Southmead Hospital.

He said the circular wound he suffered was too big to be stitched and just left to heal.

Mr Harsant told the court he had lost some movement to his fingers, was on daily pain relief and was off work for two-and-half weeks before returning to four weeks' restricted duty.

SO Liddington told the court he heard Sage verbally abusing a female prison officer and was aware he was upset after receiving bad news in a prison visit.

The officer said he decided to go to the cell.

He accepted Sage could be "challenging" but he denied going in the cell to show him who was boss.

Mr Liddington said: "It would be very poor practice to leave someone in an agitated state."

Mr Liddington told the court he didn't think he managed to turn on his body worn camera.

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