'Dangerous' prisoner slashed inmate's neck at Leeds jail with sharpened shard of plastic
A prisoner who slashed an inmate’s neck with a sharpened chunk of plastic has been handed a new sentence after the judge deemed him to be a danger.
Afzal Zafar attacked the man without warning at HMP Wealstun. He had been recalled to prison for an incident of domestic violence, having been given an indeterminate sentence in 2006 for a machete attack.
Leeds Crown Court heard that while serving at the Wetherby prison, on March 20, 2023, Zafar walked past the victim who was receiving his food through a serving hatch.
In one quick movement he attacked the man, slashing his neck with the weapon, prosecutor Carmel Pearson said.
It was found to be a shard of plastic that Zafar had sharpened. The incident was caught on CCTV.
The victim had to be taken to hospital and is likely to be left with a permanent scar, Ms Pearson said.
Zafar admitted a charge of Section 18 GBH, but no explanation was disclosed to the court as to why the 38-year-old attacked the man.
Zafar has eight previous convictions for 19 offences, including having a bladed weapon and multiple robberies.
Mitigating, Matthew Stewart said Zafar comes from a “troubled background”, there was little stability in his life and that his father had been jailed for importing heroin.
He said much of his life had been spent in custody which had impacted his behaviour. He said Zafar also had ADHD and emotionally-unstable personality disorder.
Judge Tom Bayliss KC told Zafar: “You obtained a piece of plastic, sharpened it and used it to stab the other prisoner in the neck.
“In my judgement it was a planned attack, you have a reason, you say, for that.
“Whatever the reason is, it was was plainly not impulsive. It was a highly-dangerous weapon and it was your purpose to inflict serious injury.”
He handed Zafar and new eight-year jail sentence to run consecutively to his current indeterminate sentence.