Robert Green

Robert Green, a 30-year-old man previously convicted of multiple sex offences including rape, carried out a violent assault on another inmate at HMP Durham on 20 January 2023. While awaiting sentencing for his earlier crimes, Green accused the victim's son of an affair with his girlfriend outside the prison, prompting the unprovoked attack.

According to court proceedings at Teesside Crown Court, Green approached the victim from behind as he walked through the prison and repeatedly stabbed him in the neck using a sharply pointed metal implement fashioned into a shank. The victim turned to face Green, who then stabbed him in the left-hand side of the abdomen, inflicting three puncture wounds. The victim later reported fearing for his life, believing Green intended to kill him. Prison staff recovered the weapon after Green passed it to another inmate to hide in the shower block.

Green had been convicted of a string of sex offences in the Newcastle area, where he subjected his victim to multiple rapes and a series of horrifying assaults. A sharp-eyed nurse had noticed irregularities during the victim's medical attention, leading to his initial conviction and a 14-year jail sentence. Now residing at HMP Northumberland, Green pleaded guilty to wounding with intent and possession of an offensive weapon.

Prosecutor Paul Cleasby detailed the brutal and sustained nature of the attack during the hearing. In mitigation, Daniel Cordey noted that Green was engaging with mental health support teams in the prison system and showing early signs of addressing his issues, despite facing a long incarceration.

Recorder Taryn Turner, presiding over the case, considered a life sentence given Green's status as a dangerous offender but opted for a determinate term. She stated: "Without warning, you launched a forceful attack on him, striking your victim from behind with the clear intention of causing him really serious harm. The evidence shows you repeatedly targeted blows aimed at vulnerable areas of his body. The attack was sustained, targeted and unprovoked. Although, it was mercifully relatively short-lived and he was fortunate not to sustain more serious injuries." Green was sentenced to an additional six years in prison.