Prisoner spat at officers, graffitied the walls of his cell and turned a pen into a weapon during "unpleasant" spree

Mark Moran, 35, was convicted in his absence of three charges of assault, criminal damage and possession of an unauthorised weapon in prison.

He was also sentenced to a further one month in prison – to be served concurrently – for a charge of common assault, which related to an incident involving a prison officer at the jail. The defendant had been convicted of the offence following a trial in his absence at Weymouth Magistrates’ Court in July 2016.

All of the offences took place at HMP and YOI Portland between May and July 2016, when Moran was serving a 13-year sentence for inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent.

He spat out of the observation panel of his cell door in the direction of a prison officer, making contact with the officer's back.

Just weeks later, an officer brought Moran a cup of water, which the defendant then threw through the observation panel, covering the officer's face and chest.

Two days later, the defendant spat through the panel into an officer's face. He also covered the walls of his cell with graffiti and was found in possession of a handmade weapon, a pen with a sharpened edge.

Moran was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court on Friday, October 6.

Inspector Tony Burden, of Dorset Police, said: “Mark Moran’s behaviour was particularly unpleasant toward prison staff who were simply doing their jobs."