A man who worked in the canteen of a prison was awarded over £5m in damages after being stabbed by a fellow prisoner with a knife. Steven Wilson was on kitchen duties at HMP Chelmsford, Essex, in July 2018, when he was attacked by a murderer serving a life sentence. Despite having a risk assessment conducted on his attacker, it was deemed to be “unknown” if he could be left without supervision. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) admitted liability but disputed the level of his claim for damages. However, in a ruling on Friday, Judge Melissa Clarke awarded Mr Wilson over £5m.
The attack left Mr Wilson with serious injuries, including lacerations to his stomach and liver, and an incomplete spinal lesion. His life has been permanently affected by the physical and psychological ramifications of the attack, and he now requires a wheelchair, a walking stick, and a frame due to his injuries. During the trial, he spoke of feeling “very vulnerable in prison” and scared of being attacked again. At the time of the stabbing, he was on remand for aggravated burglary and was later convicted, receiving a reduced sentence because of his injuries.
The MoJ acknowledged liability over the attack, but disputes arose over Mr Wilson’s condition, future loss of earnings, and the level of treatment required. Judge Clarke commented that the prison risk assessment of Mr Wilson’s attacker showed that staff could not determine if he was “sufficiently trustworthy” to be left unsupervised. Nonetheless, he had access to knives. The judge also stated that Mr Wilson would require 24-hour support by the time he was sixty years old, highlighting the severity of the life-changing injuries he sustained.
For his part, Mr Wilson has been compensated for the attack and can now attempt to rebuild his life. Nonetheless, the incident highlights the importance of assessing risk regardless of the surroundings. It is essential to ensure that those in settings where violence may occur are safe from harm and are not left vulnerable to attacks that could result in life-changing injuries
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