One of the prisoners who repeatedly stabbed a fellow inmate to death at a Sheppey jail was a convicted killer, a court heard.

The revelation came during questioning of a prison officer from HMP Swaleside during the trial of Paul Wadkin.

Wadkin, 33, denies murdering 46-year-old Darren Flynn in March this year.

Mr Flynn, who was described as a self-harmer, disabled and walked with a crutch, was stabbed at least 190 times, with the majority of the wounds to his chest and neck.

His body was found in Wadkin's cell bed at the category B prison.

A jury at Maidstone Crown Court was told at the start of the trial that Wadkin's co-defendant, Jason Gomez, 45, had pleaded guilty to Mr Flynn's murder.

The seven men and five women did not know at that stage, however, why any of the three men were in the Eastchurch jail.

But, during cross-examination by Wadkin's defence counsel of prison officer and Gomez's key worker Aaron Holmes, it was revealed Gomez was behind bars at the time for murder.

The court also heard that this related to a stabbing.

Mr Holmes was the officer who made the grim discovery in Wadkin's bed. The jury was told he went to the cell after both Wadkin and Gomez told him of the body.

The officer told the court he initially thought Gomez was joking.

"Knowing him as I did, he was quite a jokey character and would often make comments about harming other people, harming himself, and then finishing it with a statement along the lines of 'I'm joking' or 'don't worry about that.'," explained Mr Holmes.

Mr Holmes looked in the cell but did not see anything unusual. It was only when a pillow was moved that he saw Mr Flynn's head.

His body was covered by the bed clothes and a chair had been placed on top.

Prison officer Ian Rogers described Wadkin and Gomez, both of no fixed address, as looking "calm and normal" when they were speaking to Mr Holmes.

In his statement, which was read out to the jury, Mr Rogers described how he saw Mr Flynn laying in the bed with his crutch slightly under his body.

He checked both his neck and wrist but could not find a pulse.

Mr Rogers also stated he hardly knew Wadkin but described Gomez as a very loud character whose interaction with staff could be "over the top".

"He would pretend to punch officers or get into a boxing stance," he added.

Another officer, John Kinlock, spoke to Wadkin in the immediate aftermath of Mr Flynn's body being found.

He told the court that when he asked why he was not in his cell, Wadkin replied: "Just murdered a pervert."

Gomez and Wadkin made a similar confession to prison officer Darryl Cousins after he ordered them to go to their cells.

He agreed when questioned by Wadkin's defence counsel Alexia Zimbler that the pair had answered "as one" when they replied: "We can't. We've just killed someone."

The trial continues.