A PRISONER at HMP Berwyn in Wrexham lost his temper and hurled a microwave from an upstairs landing which narrowly missed officers below.

One officer, who was restraining another prisoner, had just moved from the spot where the oven landed.

If he had not, then he would have been struck on the head, Mold Crown Court was told.

Marlon Dell, 29, currently serving a seven year sentence for attempted robbery, admitted affray and criminal damage to the oven and was given an additional six month sentence.

Judge Niclas Parry told him: "You tell us that you lost your head.

"You are lucky the prison officer did not lose his."

The judge told Dell, who appeared in court via a live television link from custody, that he had thrown the microwave off the landing from some height and it could have caused significant injury.

"Mercifully it did not," he said.

Judge Parry said good order in prisons, and the safety of prisoners, depended on prison behaviour and discipline.

"This was a serious incident involving an attack on staff in the prison.

"It could have escalated but thankfully it did not."

However, it had to be marked by a prison sentence as a deterrent to others.

The judge said he was pleased to hear Dell was making good use of his time in custody.

The court heard Dell, who had previous convictions for 54 offences, was being escorted upstairs following an earlier visit and he turned and tried to push past the officers.

Barrister Anna Price, prosecuting, said that on the top landing he lunged towards the microwave oven, grabbed it, ran towards the stairs and threw it off the landing.

It was thrown directly at staff below who were restraining another prisoner.

One officer had to duck as the microwave went past and it landed next to a group off officers and a restrained prisoner.

"Luckily, one had just moved from the spot where it landed. If he had not moved it would have landed on his head," Miss Price said.

Dell was returned to his room and was fully compliant.

He accepted what he had done was wrong and told how he had "lost his head" because of a problem during a visit earlier.

Barrister Andrew Green, defending, said his client understood it was a bad offence and would attract a prison sentence in addition to the one he was already serving.

"He is keen to point out he is sorry for what he did," Mr Green said. "He knows it was stupid."

That day he was frustrated that during a visit staff had not allowed him to see his son.

Mr Green said: "That was the reason for his mood that day.

"It would have been a lot worse. Mercifully it was not."

Mr Green said his client was using his time in prison well and had undergone various courses and was working as a supervisor in the prison kitchens seven days a week.

He had received papers to become a category B prisoner and that was something he wanted to pursue.