A prison officer has been cleared of deliberately allowing inmates to attack and rob a prisoner.

The staff member at HMP Swaleside had denied deliberately allowing two inmates, Danny Forbes and Rumia Delgado, to carry out the attack in May 2021 which left the victim with a broken jaw.

After acquitting him, the jury convicted the two inmates of robbery and Delgado of causing grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent and Forbes on a lesser charge of inflicting GBH.

Prosecutor Bridget Todd had told jurors Delgado and Forbes had been serving prisoners at Swaleside on the Isle of Sheppey, where Alexandru Dop was a prison officer.

She revealed how another inmate Ashley Pring had returned to his cell shortly before 9am and the door locked and he fell asleep.

"He suddenly woke up and saw two flashes of light,” Ms Todd told the court.

“He found himself further down the bed and felt pain in his face and he could taste blood in his mouth. He knew his jaw was not right.”

Mr Dop, 37, was found not guilty of misconduct in a public office while on duty in prison following a trial at Maidstone Crown Court.

Pring noticed his cell had been trashed and his CD and DVD players were missing.

She added: "He was feeling a lot of pain and asked for someone to help but no-one came to assist him. The first person (to help) was the drug and welfare officer who was doing the rounds and he complained he had been jumped."

Pring was later taken to hospital and treated for a fractured jaw and a bruised lip after claiming he remembered being punched in the face.

CCTV footage was reviewed and the prosecution claim showed Delgado, wearing a black hat and black jacket, and Forbes, wearing a track suit, talking to Mr Dop.

"The two inmates are seen on screen carrying washbags and Dop unlocks the cell door of Cell 103 where Pring was. The officer remains outside before pulling the door closed."

When Mr Dop was interviewed by police he told them that there were Covid restrictions "but all officers were bending the rules in allowing inmates into different areas".

Delgado and Forbes, both 35, both left the dock to return to the cells as the verdict was delivered. They are in custody and will be sentenced at a later date.

The former prison guard is believed to have left the service after being suspended and a friend said he was unlikely to ask for his job back.

He left smiling but without comment.