WIREDGOV

An inmate who threw boiling water into the faces of a prison guard and a vulnerable fellow prisoner at HMP Wandsworth was yesterday sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment. 

Joel Deeny, 34, admitted offences of causing grievous bodily harm and attempting to cause grievous bodily harm on 14 February 2022, and was sentenced on Thursday, 28 July, at Southwark Crown Court. 

He was also separately sentenced after admitting two offences of possession of a knife in relation to an incident on Lambeth Bridge on 21 November 2021 – the reason he was in custody at the time.

One of Deeny’s victims has suffered hearing loss, likely to be a perforated ear drum, and the other suffered severe pain and emotional distress.

Jonathan Storer, the CPS lead for prison offences, yesterday said:

“Joel Deeny intended to cause serious harm when he threw boiling water from a kettle over each of his two defenceless victims, one of whom was in a wheelchair at the time.

“Although the attacks caused severe pain and serious injury, the results of his unprovoked and callous actions could have been even worse.

“Assaults on inmates or prison guards are completely unacceptable, and wherever our legal test is met we will work closely with police and prisons to prosecute offenders.”

Notes to Editors

• Joel Deeny (DOB: 4 March 1988) admitting causing grievous bodily harm, and attempting to cause grievous bodily harm, and two offences of possession of a bladed article:
• He was sentenced to:
• Four years imprisonment for: on 14 February 2022 at HMP Wandsworth, Joel Deeney assaulted a fellow inmate thereby occasioning him grievous bodily harm and at the time of doing so, intended to cause him such harm. Contrary to Section 18 Offences Against the Person Act 1861.
• Three years imprisonment (to be served consecutively to the first offence) for: on 18 April 2022 at HMP Wandsworth, Joel Deeney attempted to unlawfully and maliciously cause grievous bodily harm to a prison guard, with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm. Contrary to Section 1(1) of the Criminal Attempts Act 1981.
• Twelve months’ imprisonment for each of the two possession of bladed article offences, to be served concurrently, but consecutively to the seven years’ imprisonment.
• Jonathan Storer is the Chief Crown Prosecutor for Mersey-Cheshire, and the lead for the CPS on prisons offences.