A WREXHAM prisoner has had his jail term extended after injuring an officer with a bin.

Levi Hughes, aged 27 and of no fixed abode, appeared before Mold Crown Court for sentencing on Wednesday.

He admitted two counts of assaulting an emergency worker and one of unlawful wounding; the offences having taken place in June last year, while he was a serving prisoner at HMP Berwyn.

Simon Mintz, prosecuting, told the court the first incident took place on June 1 and involved Hughes being returned to his cell after being “unruly”.

He was shouting and spat on the head and shoulder of officer Benjamin Williams.

Then on June 11 after getting into a dispute at meal time, he began shouting out an address which he believed was the officer’s home and repeatedly rang his bell.

When brought his meal he refused to move from the doorway and it was apparent he and his cell mate were under the effects of ‘hooch’ - an illicit homemade alcohol, Mr Mintz said.

Backup was requested and officers entered the cell, pushing the defendant back - but he picked up a metal bin and threw it.

The bin struck officer Gary Ray above his left eye, causing his head to bleed heavily.

It also struck another officer, Ian Ankers-Phillips a “glancing blow.”

Officer Ray’s injury required ten stitches and was advised to take time off work by his GP.

Mr Mintz said as well as making the officer reluctant and anxious to return to his job, the injury affected his home life as his three-year-old son had been afraid to approach him due to his appearance for some time.

Paul Treble, defending, said: “He regrets what he has done and has apologised to all those concerned.

“The cause of the offending was frustration.

“It is difficult in prison - and it does not excuse his behaviour - but this defendant had been in his cell for a long time; 23 hours a day.

“Most frustrating for him was that he wasn’t able to see his daughter.

“Officers were preventing him from going to get more credit to ring her because it was meal time.”

Judge Rhys Rowlands said the officer’s head wound was “described as pouring with blood” and had “left him with a degree of disfigurement.”

He told Hughes: “It was clear you were under the influence of some alcohol.

“The victim sustained a very unpleasant injury.

“He has been left with a permanent scar - this has had a bad effect on him and understandably on his family.

Judge Rowlands handed Hughes a custodial sentence totalling 27 months to be served on top of his ongoing jail term at HMP Berwyn.