David McLauglin, 47, a man currently held at HMP Durham launched a sustained attack on his cellmate after complaining that he snored too loudly, a court heard. The attacker, 47, received a three-year prison sentence after a court found him guilty of unlawful wounding.
The attack took place on the morning of 28 February 2024. At the time, the man was serving a 10-month sentence at the prison.
The victim suffered four wounds, suspected broken ribs and a broken arm. The broken arm needed a metal plate. The court heard that the victim ended up covered in blood.
Martin Towers, prosecuting, told the court the accounts of what happened differed. He said the victim’s account was that his snoring had annoyed the defendant, who then began the assault without provocation.
Weapon and hot water
The prosecution said the defendant struck his cellmate many times and stamped on him. Mr Towers said the victim also saw a shiny object, which he believed to be a makeshift blade.
The judge, Judge Advocate Thomas Mitchell, said he felt sure the attacker had used a weapon. He could not say what kind, and the charge did not mention one. He added that the defendant had also tried to injure the man further with sugar dissolved in hot water.
In a statement, the victim said he had developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after the attack. He said other prisoners had warned him “not to be a grass”. The court heard he lived with pain for months afterwards.
Defence and sentence
Rachel Kelly, defending, told the court no medical evidence showed the victim had PTSD. She said her client had once turned his life around after a period of homelessness, when he rented a home of his own. She added that he no longer used drugs or alcohol, and that he had PTSD and a personality disorder himself.
Passing sentence, the judge told the defendant he had carried out “a brutal assault that was wildly disproportionate”. The man joined the hearing by video link from HMP Durham.
HMP Durham is a reception prison for men in the North East. At its last full inspection, in August 2024, inspectors rated safety and respect as not sufficiently good, purposeful activity as poor, and preparation for release as reasonably good.
