Man assaults female prison officer

Friday 02 March 2018

A 36-year-old man has been jailed after assaulting a female prison officer while being held on remand for another offence at Les Nicolles Prison.

Arron Jackson had been in custody following the previous incident when he assaulted the female staff member during a routine call to his prison cell on 16 December 2017.

CCTV coverage of the incident was shown during a hearing at Guernsey's Magistrates Court yesterday, while Jackson was described as being agitated during a visit by two prison officers ahead of 'lunging' towards the female victim.

During that assault, Jackson held the female prison officer in a headlock, before being restrained by her accompanying officer. During the ensuing struggle they all fell towards the bed. The female officer was left badly shaken and suffered injuries and pain following the incident, including bruising on the inside of her arm. The male officer also felt pain following the struggle.

Jackson was already being held in custody following a "drunken assault" at a residential property in the Vale on 11 November 2017.

During that incident he had threatened another man, after drinking half a bottle of rose wine. He then continued drinking while the threats against the other man escalated, becoming very abusive before Jackson raised his fists against the man, who was by this point protecting his face with his own hands.

Whilst no injuries were sustained during that assault, Guernsey Police had already been alerted to the situation by a female resident at the property and Jackson was arrested and taken into custody where he had remained until the second incident on 16 December 2017.

The incident on 11 November happened just 23 days after a suspended sentence was given to Jackson following a similar previous assault on the same man.

In returning his verdict Judge Graeme McKerrell said both assaults were serious in nature and he noted particularly that the prison officer was in a position of authority which Jackson abused. He said prison officers carrying out their work duties must be protected and said firm sentencing is the only way to keep order.

Jackson was sentenced to a total of 12 months in prison for the two assaults with a further 24 weeks in custody, following the activation of his suspended sentence which he was found to be in breach of.