Rochester Young Offenders' Institution

by Julia Roberts

An inmate who allegedly tried to bite a chunk of flesh out of a prison officer’s hand claims he acted in self-defence, a court heard.

John Schock was said to have clamped his mouth on Keith Coombs’s left hand during the attack at Rochester Young Offenders’ Institution in June 2010.

Mr Coombs told a jury at Maidstone Crown Court of the “intense” pain he felt as Schock bit down on the skin between the base of his thumb and index finger.

Just minutes later he was heard to boast: “Whoever’s hand I bit I have still got skin in my mouth and it tastes lovely.”

Schock, of no fixed address, denies wounding Mr Coombs with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm, and a less serious, alternative offence of wounding.

At the start of Schock’s trial yesterday - which was also his 23rd birthday - the jury was told he also denies three further attacks on prison officers at Elmley Prison on the Isle of Sheppey in June and July 2011.

It is alleged he assaulted Aron Fill, causing him actual bodily harm, and assaulted James McLaughlan and Russell Webb by beating.

Prosecutor Gary Pons said each attack again involved Schock, who sat in the dock flanked by six prison officers, biting his victims. One wound was to the head.

“He accepts he did bite each prison officer but was acting in lawful self-defence because they were using unnecessary and excessive force against him.”

The court heard Mr Coombs was one of four officers attempting to restrain Schock in his cell on June 30 2010.

He was face down on his bed at the time.

Mr Coombs said he tried to take hold of Schock’s right arm, which was tucked under his body.

“I heard one of the officers say ‘Watch out, he is biting’ and then I felt intense pain....It could have been 10 seconds, it could have been seconds, but it was intense.

“I believe he was trying to take a lump out of my hand. I was trying my hardest to bring my hand out of his mouth but there was no give.”

Mr Coombs told the jury he still does not know how he eventually managed to release his hand from Schock’s mouth.

Describing his injury, which could not be stitched due to risk of infection and has left a permanent scar, Mr Coombs added: “There was blood, a lump out of it. It was bruised and I saw teeth marks consistent with a human bite.”

Schock was being moved to another cell when Mr Coombs said he heard him shouting about still having flesh in his mouth.

Schock was again on a segregation unit when he allegedly attacked three more officers in two separate incidents at HMP Elmley the following year.

“These officers were doing no more than their duty,” said Mr Pons. “The defendant’s case is that they were going far beyond their duty, were not acting lawfully and that compelled him to behave the way that he did.”

The trial continues.