An inmate who bit a prison officer has been sentenced to four weeks custody.

Twenty-year-old Callum Kelly committed the offence while staff were trying to move him between cells.

He appeared before Deputy High Bailiff Rachael Braidwood on Tuesday, March 18, and entered a guilty plea to a charge of common assault.

Kelly was jailed for five years and nine months in October 2023, after being found guilty after a trial of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Prosecuting advocate Hazel Carroon told the court that the new offence was committed on February 9 this year.

Kelly was told he would be moving cells but was said to have been argumentative and resistant to prison officers.

As he was being guided out of his cell, he tried to headbutt one and was restrained on the bed.

Kelly then bit the upper thigh of an officer during the struggle.

He was interviewed later and handed in a prepared statement, claiming he had been acting in self-defence and that he was being assaulted while officers attempted to move him.

The defendant, whose address was given as the Isle of Man Prison, was represented in court by advocate Helen Lobb.

Ms Lobb said that her client had spent 10 days in segregation after the assault on the prison officer and asked the court to take that into account.

The advocate said that Kelly had been in an emotional state at the time of the offence, due to a bereavement, and things had escalated from there.

Ms Lobb said that the defendant had moved back to the normal wing of the prison and apologised to the officer concerned.

Deputy High Bailiff Miss Braidwood ordered that the four weeks should run concurrently to Kelly’s current sentence.

No order for prosecution costs was made.