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Featherstone young offenders' inmate 'held doctor hostage'

An inmate ‘hearing voices’ brandished a makeshift weapon as he held an unsuspecting doctor captive at a Staffordshire young offenders’ institution, a court heard.

Published
HMP Brinsford, where the incident happened

Jonathan Ndila pulled out the toothbrush fused with a razor blade after visiting a prison doctor to complain of a hand injury.

But the 20-year-old claims he was suffering from an untreated mental health condition when prosecutors allege he attacked Dr Nabeel Malik.

Opening the case, prosecutor Mr Julian Taylor said: “[During police interview he said] he had been to see the doctor and he pulled the knife on himself, asking the doctor for help.

"He had been hearing voices since he had been in prison and not been treated for it.”

Ndila denies false imprisonment, unauthorised possession in prison of a knife or offensive weapon and assault by beating on March 31 last year.

Jurors were told Dr Malik was sitting with his back to the door in a consultation room at HMP Brinsford in Featherstone, when Ndila walked in just before 11am.

The inmate sat down next to the GP and revealed his hand was hurting following a fight a few days earlier, the prosecutor said.

Mr Taylor said Ndila then ‘suddenly’ got up and punched the medic.

He continued to attack Dr Malik before the alleged victim eventually managed to stand up, Stafford Crown Court heard.

The defendant attempted to ‘wedge the door shut’ with a chair.

A colleague rushed to raise the alarm while another medic leaned against the door to stop it shutting, jurors were told yesterday.

Prison officers arrived and tried to ‘diffuse’ the situation but Ndila pulled the weapon .

The inmate, of Tulse Hill, Lambeth, then said: “I want a transfer out of here.”

The alleged incident lasted for just over five minutes before Ndila handed the blade to one of the medical team.

Mr Taylor added that he was taken to a segregation unit.

The trial continues.

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