Dangerous children including convicted murderers push prison staff to the brink

11 February 2023 , 20:51

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Will Cornick, jailed for murdering teacher Ann Maguire, was one of the child inmates held at Wetherby (Image: PA)

Staff at a jail with 37 child inmates convicted of killings or facing trial for them are struggling to cope with assaults, warn inspectors.

The high-risk teens make up nearly a quarter of the population at the juveniles nick.

The figure has been blasted as “truly shock-ing” by the Independent Monitoring Board.

Their inspection revealed inmates attacked staff at HMP Wetherby on 100 occasions in the 12 months up to August 2022, with 59 guards needing time off.

Among dangerous children held there was murderer Emar Wiley jailed for knifing a man in Sheffield in a drugs row. He was 17 when he stabbed a prison guard in the head in 2020.

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Will Cornick, given 20 years in 2015 for murdering teacher Ann Maguire in Leeds was held at Wetherby, but was moved over safety fears.

Anne Maguire was stabbed to death by her 15-year-old pupil Will Cornick (PA)

Violence between the 15 to 18-year-old inmates is also rife, with 215 assaults in the last
year, the inspectors’ report revealed.

It said: “We commend the work of the staff team, but they lack the resources and additional support needed to deal with young people who may be both very challenging and highly vulnerable. Thirty-seven there are sentenced or on remand for murder or manslaughter, a truly shocking figure.”

Ian Carson, of the Prison Officers Association, said: “Calling them ‘children’ is unfair when you look at risks posed to prison staff.

HMP Weatherby (REX/Shutterstock)

Emar Wiley murdered a "loving father" in a revenge attack (SWNS)

Safety

“Some are over 6ft and 18 stone. The safety of staff and other prisoners should come first. Prisoners have been given flat screen TVs in the hope of calming them down.”

Cells at Wetherby have private showers and offenders have access to laptops and telephones.

The report said riot police were called in to deal with four inmates who had barricaded themselves in a prison classroom and created weapons from furniture.

The Youth Custody Service said: “We’re boosting pay so we can better recruit and retain staff to support young people in our care.”

Ben Turner