A VIOLENT prisoner knocked out a prison officer after he became angry about a missing DVD player.

Joshua Bernard hit the prison officer in the face with a blind-sided punch as he was being escorted back to his cell in the segregation unit of HMP Hewell in Hewell Lane, Redditch, Worcestershire.

The 24-year-old, who is already serving an eight year sentence for wounding, admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm when he appeared at Worcester Crown Court via videolink.

Lal Amarasinghe, prosecuting, said Bernard had received a disciplinary notice, which he had refused to sign.

He noticed his DVD player was missing and began gesticulating before swinging a single blow at the prison officer as he was being escorted to his cell.

Mr Amarasinghe said: “The prison officer lost consciousness. He was treated for his injuries. He had a cut to his upper lip which had a hole where his tooth had come through.

The cut needed two stitches internally and two externally.

Four months were added to Bernard’s eight year sentence on November 28, 2016 at Staffordshire Crown Court for two assaults on prison officers, one of which resulted in the officer suffering a dislocated finger.

Figures supplied by HMP Hewell and read out to the court showed there had been 49 recorded assaults on prison staff Hewell in 2016 and 66 in 2017.

Jon Roe, defending, said Bernard wanted the loss of the DVD player to be resolved immediately and wanted to see a senior officer.

He added: “Staff simply wanted to get him into his cell quickly and he became upset by that and lashed out. He accepts he was in the wrong.”

He added: “He had a troubled upbringing, no father figure and fell in with a crowd that led him off the lawful path.”

Judge Robert Juckes QC jailed Bernard for 12 months, a sentence which will be served consecutively to the one for section 18 wounding which he is already serving. His release would have been April 19 next year.

He can expect to serve six months of the 12 months in custody and the remaining six months on licence after this date. Bernard must also pay a victim surcharge of £140.