A murderer serving a life sentence in Lowdham Prison attacked a prison officer with a V-shaped metal baton, a court heard.

Luke Toner - jailed in November 2013 for a Yorkshire killing - assaulted the officer as he attempted to block prisoners running at the door of a medicine hatch.

Four people then shouted "let's get in there" and ran at the hatch, kicking it and shouting they were going to "stab him", referring to a terrified doctor at the scene.

The prison officer activated a secure alarm.

During a hearing at Nottingham Crown Court, Lucy Jones, prosecuting, said: "The defendant had a V-shaped metal baton and used it to strike the officer to the stomach. He was in severe pain."

Prisoners continued to attack the door and throw snooker balls at the hatch on October 29 last year.

HMP Lowdham Grange
HMP Lowdham Grange

Inmates eventually backed off and the weapon was recovered from Toner, who has since been moved to Garth Prison in the village of Ulnes Walton, in Lancashire.

After the attack, the prison office attended accident and emergency with lumps on his stomach where he had been whacked.

In a victim impact statement, he said: "I have suffered pain and cramps since the assault. I am now reserved about dealing with violent prisoners and being assaulted again".

Toner pleaded guilty to the authorised possession in prison of a knife or offensive weapon, and assault.

Inside Lowdham Grange

Unrepresented by a barrister, Toner was happy for his case to go ahead. He said over a video link at Nottingham Crown Court to "just crack on, it's all right" and "I just want to get it over and done with".

Judge Stuart Rafferty QC, who sentenced him to a total of 21 months, had asked if there anything he wanted to say about the offences but Toner replied "no".

The judge said: "You understand this had the potential to be a really serious breach of prison discipline."

The sentence is concurrent to the 25-year-old's life sentence, which has a minimum tariff of 22 years to serve before parole.