Inmate stabbed child abuser with metal chisel because he 'woke up in a bad mood'

A prisoner almost killed a child abuser with a metal chisel because he 'woke up in a bad mood'.

Convicted rapist David Allan, 39, set upon Emanuel Spitari while they were in a workshop together in the Category A prison HMP Frankland, near Durham.

Allan was jailed for life after stabbing Spitari in his torso, head, neck, shoulder blade and rib, TeessideLive reports.

One of the blows landed just one centimetre away from a vital artery, which if hit would have resulted in the inmate's death.

Shaun Dodds, prosecuting, told the court how Allan stabbed Spitari five or six times during the unprovoked attack, leaving him in the critical care unit in hospital.

Following the attack on August 14 last year, Allan said: "I just didn't like the guy to be honest. He p***ed me off about a week ago and I woke up in a bad mood today so today was his day.

"I wasn't intending to kill him or wanting to hurt him but if he had died it wouldn't have bothered me in the slightest."

Allan said that he had been told that the next time he appears in court he would receive a life sentence.

He added: "That's why I don't care if he died or not.

"It will probably not be the last one, maybe the next one will die I don't care."

Spitari, previously of Darlington, was jailed for child sex offences at Teesside Crown Court in January 2018.

The former Merchant Navy officer, then 59, was locked up for 23 years for a "campaign of rape" against primary school pupils.

In a victim impact statement, read to the court by Mr Dodds, Spitari said that the incident had changed his life for the worse and the feeling down the left side of his body has just started to come back.

He said: "Overall it's fair to say what happened to me is life changing. I don't know why I was the chosen one that day but I was. I want answers.

"I just want to go back to how I was before this incident but I know it will never happen mentally and physically."

Allan was originally charged with attempted murder of Spitari but the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) accepted his guilty plea to the lesser charge of causing GBH with intent.

The court heard how Allan would also be sentenced for attacking two other inmates with scissors while at Parkhurst prison on the Isle of Wight.

Allan admitted causing GBH with intent and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Recorder Elizabeth Bussey-Jones, defending, told the court how Allan continues to maintain his innocence in relation to the rape charge he was convicted of by a jury. 

She said that he had "begged, asked, pleaded" to be kept away from Spitari.

She said: "He clearly knew there would be a rift if they were together.

"It was never his intent to kill Mr Spitari."

Recorder Bussey-Jones said that Allan has people around him with the most difficult of behaviour.

She said that there is Islamic terrorism being shouted through the walls day and night, people with mental health problems shouting and a prisoner smearing the walls with feces and urine.

She said: "It's a pretty intense experience. He tells me that he is the type of prisoner that - he just wants to stay in his cell. He wants to stay quiet, he doesn't want to cause any additional problems.

"He says he literally lives in his cell and reads books.

"It's when he wakes up he realises he's in the nightmare. I use them words because these are his words to me."

She added that Allan was working with psychology to get help and support while in prison.

Judge Stephen Ashurst told Allan: "One of the stab wounds was very close to a vital artery. Had the blow of the weapon just been one centimetre to the right and severed the spinal cord Mr Spitari would have most certainly died instantly.

"You intended at the time to do him really serious harm."

Judge Ashurst sentenced Allan to a life sentence with a minimum of five years.