Extra jail time for attack which left a Whitemoor Prison officer with a fractured skull

A prisoner serving a life sentence for murder has had his time behind bars extended by another two years after attacking a prison officer.

Douglas Samuel was jailed in 2013 for a minimum of 20 years for murdering his partner Gaynor Bale a year previously. He killed her as part of a violent outburst at the home they shared in Homerton, London.

His sentence was reduced to 18 years by the Court of Appeal in 2014.

Samuel, now 41, was a serving prisoner at HMP Whitemoor in March at the time of the new offence. He became violent and confrontational after he was kept waiting to see a prison doctor on November 13 last year.

He started causing problems on the prison wing at around 3.30pm and remained at the centre gate, refusing to move away and allow prison officers to continue their work.

Samuel was approached by two prison officers and was ordered to go back to his cell, but he refused and became verbally abusive.

He shouted to other prisoners on the wing to come and help him. The two prison officers then began to escort him along the landing and back to his cell but as they did so, Samuel elbowed one of them in the face.

The force of the blow caused the officer to fall backwards and hit his head on the concrete floor, knocking him unconscious.

After the attack Samuel ran back to his cell. The prison officer was taken to hospital and suffered a fractured skull and a bleed on the brain as a result of the assault. He suffered no lasting injuries.

Samuel admitted causing grievous bodily harm (GBH) without intent at Cambridge Crown Court yesterday (August 6).

He was sentenced to an additional two years in prison for the offence and will now serve his original prison sentence of 20 years in full before being eligible for release.

DC Shelly Reeve, who investigated, said: “Samuel had already proved he was extremely dangerous when he was convicted of murdering his partner.

“He was sent to a category A prison, where the most serious offenders are kept, and as a result of his actions he will be staying behind bars a little while longer.”