Home -> Law Blog Directory -> International Law Blogs -> prisonlawinsideout

International Law

: prisonlawinsideout

Shannon Matthews kidnap accused has been attacked in prison

By John Hirst

Shannon Matthews kidnap accused has been attacked in prison

Michael Donovan, 40, was assaulted by an inmate after returning from court to Armley Jail, Leeds, where he is being held on remand.

He was punched twice in the face twice and appeared in the dock yesterday (fri) with a red mark below his nose.

Alan Conrad QC, his barrister, said: "Mr Donovan was assaulted and as a result of which he received facial injuries.

"The incident follows a week in which a number of things have happened to him. He has been verbally threatened and his prison identity card has been stolen in mysterious circumstances".

I am assuming that Michael Donovan had sought protection under Prison Rule 45 (formerly Rule 43)? Unless the attacker was also subjected to protection, Leeds Prison need to be explaining how this attack was allowed to happen. It used to be the case that prison officers would either be complicit in such assaults or at least turn a blind eye to them being carried out by inmates.

Whilst the likes of bloggers Iain Dale, Dizzy Thinks and Guido, have stated that they are in support of vigilantism like this, I am firmly against it and have been since the early 1970s when I saw such attacks being carried out on a regular basis and it sickened me.

Full post as published by prisonlawinsideout on November 15, 2008 (boomark / email).