A prisoner took a fellow inmate hostage... because he was bored, a court has heard.

Joseph Hilden, 20, had earlier asked the victim if he would volunteer to be held captive but he had refused.

A judge heard how an hour later, Hilden, of Ashford, armed himself with a plastic knife and seized David Spiridon.

He later revealed he carried out the attack in April 2019 at Cookham Wood, near Rochester, because he was bored and wanted to stab and kill his victim.

As prison staff tried to free the victim, Hilden sunk his teeth into the ear of teenager Spiridon - leaving him needing eight stitches.

Now a judge at Maidstone Crown Court has heard how Hilden has since been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and is undergoing treatment at a specialist psychiatric hospital in the county.

Judge Jeremy Julian Smith said the two men had been held at the young offenders institution - with Hilden facing a robbery charge.

The two men began chatting at 5.25pm when Hilden made his bizarre hostage request. At 6.30pm he held a sharp plastic knife to Spiridon's neck.

The court heard how he told officers he wanted to "stab this ****" and later added he also wanted to kill him.

When asked why he did it he replied it was because he was bored and bit Spiridon because he "felt like it".

Judge Smith said the attack was "inexplicable" and, after hearing from two psychiatrists, passed an order under the Mental Health Act for the offences of false imprisonment and causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

In 2019, Hilden, then of Bredgar Close, Ashford, pleaded guilty to assault with intent to commit robbery, two robberies and was sentenced to five years and three on extended licence.

Now he will remain at the secure psychiatric unit until the authorities believe he is safe to be released back into the community.