Inmates jailed over Wigan prison brawl

Four former Wigan prisoners have been jailed for more than a year in total after a full-scale brawl which left one inmate unconscious.
Hindley prisonHindley prison
Hindley prison

CCTV at HMP Hindley captured the confrontation between inmates from Liverpool and Manchester on F Wing in May 2016.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Mancunians” Stephen Wilson and Macauley Worth, both 22, have been given custodial sentences alongside fellow inmates Connor Willis, 20, and Abu Munahim, 21, following the clash.

Bolton Crown Court heard prison officers managed to step in and separate the factions, but that this did not end the violence.

One Blackpool inmate, Jack Fawcett, was set upon by the Merseyside prisoners, suffering punches and stamps from a crowd of attackers. He briefly lost consciousness before prison officers intervened for a second time to restore order.

Fifteen men were originally interviewed in relation to the disturbance and charged with violent disorder.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

This charge was later reduced to affray. Wilson was given a six-month custodial sentence at the hearing, with both Worth and Munahim receiving four months and Willis getting a three-month jail term. John Marsden, 22, also admitted affray but will only be sentenced later this month.

Prosecuting, Andrew Mackintosh said the offences occurred in an area known as The Bubble at the Bickershaw jail, which contained a food servery for two landings: Douglas and Noble.

“Those on the Noble side principally came from Liverpool while those on the Douglas side were principally inmates from Manchester, at the time of the incident,” he said.

The violence began as inmates from the Noble landing went to collect their meals from the servery, said Mr Mackintosh. CCTV showed Liverpudlians

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Peter Crabb, 19, Jake Higgins, 22, Kurtis Mackie, 21, and Charlie Fletcher, 22, involved in both disturbances.

Crabb, who is serving a nine-year jail term for firearms offences, was last month given an eight-month consecutive sentence by Judge Timothy Stead.

Higgins and Fletcher were also jailed for eight months and Mackie was given a four-month suspended term. In the aftermath of the violence, inmates were transferred to other institutions.