A prisoner was slashed around the neck and ear at a high security Northern Ireland jail this week. He needed 52 stitches at an outside hospital following a fight at Maghaberry Prison in Co Antrim.
A second inmate has been moved to a special supervision unit after being questioned by police. The attack happened on Wednesday, but the Prison Service in the North only disclosed details yesterday. With no staff having witnessed the incident, detectives have yet to decide whether they can press any charges. The victim was taken for medical treatment after alerting warders. He has since returned to jail.
A Prison Service spokesman said: "We have two key performance targets in our corporate and business plan relating to assaults: one relating to assaults by prisoners on staff and the other prisoner on prisoner.
"In recent years the out-turn figures for the latter have been reduced by over 10 per cent from the 1999-2000 reporting year to date." - (PA)