Fifth man sentenced for prison riot that caused £110,000 worth of damage

On Tuesday, September 24, 2019 prison staff at HMP Long Lartin in Worcestershire came under attack by prisoners who threw pool balls at them, resulting in staff withdrawing from the wing.

Some of the staff sustained injuries and over £110,000 worth of damage was done, as the prisoners who had taken control of the wing smashed CCTV cameras, set floods and built barricades before starting a fire.

Specialist prison control and restraint, Tornado Teams were brought in from HM Prisons from across the country, including HMP Birmingham, HMP Bristol, HMP Woodhill, HMP Bullingdon, HMP Featherstone, HMP Brinsford, HMP Oakwood and HMP Cardiff. Once inside the prison, they regained control of the wing within 10 minutes.

On Friday afternoon, Steven Jones, 41, of HMP Long Lartin was sentenced at Worcester Crown Court, after pleading guilty.

He was given 40 months in addition to the sentences he is already serving, and is not due to be released until 2041.

Four other offenders were sentenced in May for their part in the mutiny: Dean Cody, 38 was given 45 months in addition to the 21 years he was already serving; Derek Law, 40, was given 40 months in addition to the 19 years he was already serving; John Ward, 43, was given 16 months to run alongside the 32 years he is already serving; Jasbir Takhar, 47, was given 28 months to run alongside the 28 years he is already serving.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Bellamy, who led the investigation said: “I am pleased with the outcome today after a detailed and thorough investigation that lasted almost three years. We worked closely with HM Prison Service and together we hope this is a clear message that behaviour such as this will not be tolerated inside our prisons.

“Along with the cost by the damage caused, it is important to highlight the impact this incident had on the wider communities of Herefordshire and Worcestershire. Teams from the fire service, the ambulance service and West Mercia Police were committed for two days during the mutiny, taking valuable services away from our local communities.”

Two other defendants have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentence.