Inmate at HMP Whitemoor has sentenced extended after breaking prison officer's jaw

An inmate punched a prison officer and broke his jaw after he was asked to end his phone call.

Police have welcomed the extra sentence handed out to Abirahman Abukar, who has now been moved to a different jail.

Abukar, 25, was using the phone at HMP Whitemoor, near March, in November 2021 when a guard asked him to end his call as it was time to go back to his cell.

He ignored the guard and carried on with his call. The guard approached and again asked him to end the call but this time Abukar launched himself at the guard, punching him in the face and breaking his jaw.

Abukar was wrestled to the ground by other guards and quickly restrained. During the scuffle, another prison guard suffered a shoulder injury.

Abukar, who is now at HMP Frankland, Brasside, Durham, pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm and actual bodily harm and was sentenced to a further year in prison at Huntingdon Law Courts on Monday (25 September), on top of the sentence he is already serving for a firearms offence.

Detective Constable Emma Purser, who investigated, said: “This was a violent and unprovoked attack that nobody should have to endure and it left the victims with serious injuries.

“Prison staff work hard to ensure the safety of inmates and should be able to do so without fear of being attacked.”