A PRISONER kidnapped a woman and threatened to kill her as part of a planned attempt to escape from custody, a court heard.

Matthew Jones, now an inmate at HMP Manchester, appeared via video link at Mold Crown Court on Tuesday morning.

The 28-year-old had previously admitted attempting to escape from lawful custody, unauthorised possession of a knife or offensive weapon and kidnapping at HMP Berwyn in 2019.

Andrew Green, prosecuting, told the court on October 4 that year, healthcare administrator Samantha Sharples was making her way from the healthcare unit to the gate at the visitor's entrance at the prison.

Jones was waiting at the gate and as she opened it, he grabbed her from behind and put his arm around her, holding a sharpened plastic handle to her neck.

He dragged her through the open gate and into a 'sterile area', where he demanded she open another gate leading to a vehicle loading bay.

A colleague had raised the alarm and was trying to diffuse the situation, the court heard, but Jones threatened to kill Ms Sharples.

He said he'd "had a plan" and things had "gone too far."

The gate to the loading bay was opened and Jones dragged Ms Sharples through it.

When asked by officers why he was doing it, he said he was 'in for longer than he should have been.'

Mr Green said he told the prison worker he wasn't going to hurt her but said: "Think of the time off you'll get for this."

Following a stand off, he came to his senses and released Ms Sharples.

He said he hadn't targeted her and that he'd have grabbed 'whoever came through the gate'.

Later that day, he was transferred to HMP Liverpool and told officers en route that the escape attempt had been planned because he believed he would never get parole.

The court heard a victim statement from Ms Sharples, in which she said she had feared for her life.

She was left upset, shaken and stressed to the point that when she returned to work she would be physically sick before shifts and required accompaniment when leaving her office.

"When I got my job at the prison I never felt concerned in any way," she said.

"It was an exciting new challenge I was looking forward to. "His actions took my confidence."

Mr Green told the court of some of Jones' previous convictions - including in 2010 for his part in a robbery during which a vulnerable adult was "tortured" and his last court appearance in 2012 for producing a knife and slashing at the throat of a person he and four other males followed home from a kebab house after they took a "strong dislike" to him.

The court also heard Jones is currently serving an indeterminate sentence, and his release from custody can only come to pass with the approval of the parole board.

Matthew O'Neill, defending, said: "[This was] a truly distressing incident for the complainant and one which has clearly had a profound effect on her.

"Mr Jones wishes me, on his behalf, to express his remorse and apologise for his actions on this day. "The only explanation he can give is that his actions were borne out of frustrations he had.

"He had spent approximately three years and eight months after the expiration of the minimum sentence imposed.

"At the time he was eligible for parole and there had been some discussion about him being moved to approved premises.

"His parole board hearing was adjourned for a number of months and he became annoyed."

Judge Rhys Rowlands said given the nature of Jones' ongoing sentence, the "logical" course to take would be one of imposing a determinate sentence which must be served before the possibility of parole could be addressed again as part of the indeterminate sentence.

He said: "Your behaviour was planned. It involved you making and using an improvised weapon, against a history of using weapons.

"You picked on a woman. She was a public servant.

"It was a terrifying ordeal for her - she believed her life was in danger.

"The effect on Ms Sharples has been profound."

The Judge handed him a sentence of 21 months for attempting to escape and 32 months concurrent for kidnapping - making the total 32 months.

"Once you have served the custodial part of that you can re-apply to the parole board on the indeterminate sentence," he told him.

No separate penalty was imposed with regards to the weapon.