by Julia Roberts

An inmate at a Rochester detention centre suffered a broken jaw during a fight over a missing PlayStation, a court heard today.

Sam Wallder, who was serving five years at Rochester Young Offenders' Institution, was allegedly attacked after he accused a group of having his games console.

Mr Wallder was punched, kicked and stamped on by three inmates. A detention officer later said it looked as if Liban Ismail, 19, Naveed Rahman, also 19, and Motahar Sharif, 20, were "taking it in turns" to assault Mr Wallder.

However, Maistone Crown Court heard that it was as Mr Wallder was being calmed down by officers that Ismail ran up and punched him to the side of his face, fracturing his jaw.

Ismail, of Edward Street, Deptford, Rahman, of Richmond Street, Plaistow, and Sharif, of no fixed address, all deny inflicting grievous bodily harm in May this year.

Prosecutor Edmund Fowler told the court: "The Crown say these three set upon Sam Wallder, acting together, and each is responsible for the totality of his injuries, including the bruises and, most importantly, the break to the jaw."

Mr Wallder had been at the Rochester centre for four months and had a job as a wing cleaner. After a shift on May 9 he returned to his cell to discover his PlayStation2 was missing.

It was reported to staff but CCTV revealed nothing. Mr Wallder was told the next day to "ask around".

In a statement read out to the court Mr Wallder said that while in the gym he noticed a group "sniggering" and believed they were talking about his console.

That evening during association time he saw the same inmates and asked them, like he said he had asked everyone else that day: "I've heard you've got my PlayStation?"

Mr Wallder claims the response of Ismail, whom he referred to as male one, was to hit him in the face.

"I grabbed male one and threw him to the floor. Male three punched me to my temple and so I grabbed him and we fell to the floor."

Mr Wallder said the group then started to hit him all over his body. "I could feel myself being stamped on the head and kicked in my body," he stated.

The court heard officers grabbed Mr Wallder and were trying to calm him down when he was attacked again by Ismail.

"I turned around and felt a whack to the side of my head near my ear. It was male one. He was then bundled to the floor by the officers."

As well as the fractured jaw, Mr Wallder sustained a swollen face and bruising to his chest and head.

The trial continues.