Lewis Whitmee-Craig faces trial for allegedly attacking a prison officer at HMP Bullingdon in Bicester, causing grievous bodily harm.
He is accused of punching Matthew Burrows, a prison officer, on February 3, 2021. The punch followed a disagreement involving a tray of food placed in his cell.
Whitmee-Craig, who is 34, claims the guard squeezed his neck. He said the officer’s hands were around his neck, causing him to react.
The trial began on Monday, February 17, and should last two to three days. COVID-19 changed lunch procedures, with prisoners collecting lunch section by section to prevent virus spread.
Burrows delivered lunch to Whitmee-Craig’s cellmate who had missed lunch pickup. Whitmee-Craig said his cellmate did not want the lunch and worried about the smell with no bin.
Prosecutors say Whitmee-Craig swore and told Burrows to take the lunch back. They allege he threw the lunchbox from the cell and pushed back Burrows, hitting his arm. Burrows grabbed his shirt for control and then fell to his hands and knees, having been hit by a blow.
Whitmee-Craig claims Burrows grabbed his neck and tried to squeeze it. He said a childhood event came back to him, where his stepfather strangled him and his mom saved his life. He pushed the officer away.
He told police he saw a person grab him, not an officer. Burrows went to the onsite nurse first, then an ambulance took him to the hospital.
A CT scan showed fractures in his cheekbone and eye socket. He needed metal plates and screws to repair the break. The trial continues.