Prisoners 'took warder hostage'

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A gang of hooded prisoners took a warder hostage after an inmate's wife was banned from visiting him in Edinburgh's Saughton jail.

David Anderson, 42, Daniel McArthur, 23, and Terence Walker, 31, admitted assaulting prison officer Derek Stewart at the jail on 26 May.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard how they forced him into a cell.

The judge deferred sentence on all three for background reports and the trio were returned to prison.

The warder and a woman nurse, who locked herself in the prison pharmacy when the incident began, were only released after authorities agreed to leave the door of the drug dispensary unlocked.

Several prisoners rushed in and helped themselves to bottles of the heroin substitute methadone.

Pool cue

During the attack, Anderson grabbed Mr Stewart and pressed a sharp object against his neck and shouted: "I've got a blade."

Another hooded prisoner picked up a pool cue and McArthur and Walker hurled pool balls towards other officers.

Anderson, who has previously assaulted a prison officer, dragged his victim across the floor and pushed his head against a metal grille.

He [Anderson] had been very upset and emotional about the fact his wife had been barred from visits to him Derek Ogg QC

A colleague of Mr Stewart's drew his baton and tried to rescue him but was forced to retreat from the hall as he came under attack with pool balls.

Mr Stewart was repeatedly kicked and dragged into a cell as prison management began to act as siege co-ordinators and negotiators were brought in.

Anderson warned staff: "Don't come in here. We've got a hostage."

Advocate depute Graeme Jessop said the freed prison officer was "clearly traumatised" by the attack.

'Very frightened'

The prosecutor said he had not returned to work since the assault and has been attending counselling.

He added that the nurse was "understandably very frightened" and was off work for weeks but had now returned.

Mr Jessop said that earlier in the day before the attack Anderson had been informed by prison staff that his wife was barred from jail visits.

Anderson's defence counsel, Derek Ogg QC, said: "Although it was a nasty incident there was no serious violence and no serious injury to anyone."

Mr Ogg said: "He had been very upset and emotional about the fact his wife had been barred from visits to him."