AN asylum seeker in custody for attacks on police constables assaulted an officer at Durham Prison twice in the space of a few weeks, a court heard.

Mustafa Osman broke one of his victim’s fingers in both prison attacks, the second on Christmas Day last year.

Durham Crown Court heard that the Sudanese national was on remand at the prison following his arrest after a disturbance at a hotel which briefly held asylum seekers, near Alston, on November 10 last year.

The court heard that police responding to a report of an outbreak of violence detained the defendant on suspicion of criminal damage, but as he resisted arrest, Osman bit an officer in the upper arm.

When a colleague of the officer tried to intervene, he, too, was bitten, in his case hard on a finger.

Osman only released his grip after a few minutes, having been tasered.

The now 28-year-old defendant was awaiting an appearance at Carlisle Crown Court over the asylum hotel incident, when he attacked a prison officer at HMP Durham, also biting his finger, causing a fracture, in November last year.

Shaun Dryden, prosecuting, said the defendant was dealt with by way of internal prison discipline for that incident.

But on Christmas Day he kicked a door shut at a cell in the segregation unit, trapping the fingers of the same officer, who had brought him a meal, supervised by two colleagues.

The officer suffered a further finger fracture, for which he had to take time off from his duties, losing overtime opportunities.

Earlier this month Osman appeared at Carlisle Crown Court, where he was sentenced to four-and-a-half-years’ imprisonment for two offences of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm, relating to the asylum hotel attacks.

Appearing at Durham Crown Court this week, speaking with the assistance of an Arabic interpreter, Osman admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm, over the Durham Prison incident on Christmas Day.

He appeared back at the court, via video link from the city’s prison, for a sentencing hearing this week.

Julian Nutter, in mitigation, said the defendant came to this country from Sudan, where he was fleeing, “the terrible, long-running civil war that has raged in that country since independence.”

Mr Nutter said Osman has been in the UK for five years and has worked hard, labouring on construction sites.

“Through me, he wishes to apologise to the prison officer for what he did.

“It’s his intention to try to get employment again when he gets out of prison and then to stay out of trouble.”

Recorder Tom Moran said it was surprising that the defendant was not prosecuted over the first prison attack.

But he told Osman: “For reasons known only to you you ran at the cell door and kicked it, causing it to slam shut on that officer’s fingers.

“He suffered an open fracture of the finger and had to take time off work, causing him to lose out on overtime.

“You also have previous convictions from your time in the UK.”

Recorder Moran imposed a six-month sentence but he said it should be consecutive, to follow on from the 54-month sentence imposed at Carlisle Crown Court on August 14.