AN INMATE at HMP Berwyn in Wrexham bit a prison officer as he was being restrained in his cell.

Mold Crown Court heard there was concern about prisoner William Vallance, 41, that he might harm himself.

A search of his cell was made on August 9 last year and he became abusive and had to be restrained.

But during the struggle he bit prison officer Sam Burrows to the right forearm.

It broke the skin and bled and was extremely painful.

And as Vallance was being restrained he tried to bite two other officers.

Prosecutor David Mainstone said the officer had to be treated at Accident and Emergency Unit in Wrexham Maelor Hospital and he had been left with a permanent scar.

Blood tests were taken to check for infection and he had to wait many weeks for the results.

Vallance admitted a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and was jailed for an additional six month.

The court heard how the defendant was on an extended prison sentence for robbery and had previous convictions for 69 offences.

Judge Niclas Parry told him that one of the greatest causes of disruption in prisons at the moment was attacks upon prison officers.

"In North Wales we have to reflect the fact that there is a big problem at Berwyn prison," he said.

The assault was "nasty and sustained" when he had used his teeth as a weapon.

He said that the officer then had concerns, to put it mildly, for some weeks after the assault.

It was aggravated by the defendant's shocking record of previous convictions.

Judge Parry said he took into account his guilty plea and that the defendant himself was vulnerable at the time.

It was too serious a matter to be dealt with by the prison's internal disciplinary procedures.

The court heard how at 9.10am that day three officers went to the defendant's cell in order to remove items with which he would have been able to harm himself.

They suspected that he had a large amount of paracetamol tablets.

He argued with them about the fact that they were there and it was explained that they were there to try and help him because of concern for his safety.

Several items were taken from the cell, he continued to be abusive, and when asked to stand up so that they could remove the bed sheets he picked up a phone and threw it at one of the officers.

He was calmed down but then picked up a pillow and threw that, following by the mattress.

The defendant was non-compliant and threatening, was restrained on the bed but he was able to turn his head and bite the officer on the upper forearm.

It was extremely painful and drew blood and when the officer tried to regain control he tried to bite the two other officers.

In order to protect his colleagues, one of the officers struck the defendant to the side of the head to subdue him which allowed the officers to regain control.

The officer who had been bitten was off work for two weeks.

Defence barrister Niall Skinner said his client was sorry and embarrassed by what he had done.

"He knew as soon as that incident started that it would not end well and it didn't," he said.

The officers were there because of concern for the defendant who was at a particular low point at the time.

But some 10 months had passed he had been moved to another establishment and he had been doing well.

He had knuckled down to prison life.

His client was on an extended sentence and did not know precisely when he would be released but he knew that the incident would mean that he would only spend longer in custody.

"He wants to come out and put this behind him," Mr Skinner said.