(Image: HM Inspectorate of Prisons)
A teenager inflicted life-changing injuries on a prison officer by pouring boiling water and sugar over him in a youth prison near York.
The assault took place on June 14 at Wetherby Young Offender Institution when the 17-year-old detainee targeted the long-serving officer as he delivered breakfast.
He threw a kettle of boiling, sugared water at the officer, causing severe burns to his midriff, forearm and neck.
The teenager appeared by video link from the youth prison at Leeds Youth Court. He had previously pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm.
Judge Daniel Curtis said: "There is little doubt that this is an extremely unpleasant offence which caused a time-served prison officer life-changing injuries – injuries that will last him no doubt for some considerable time (and) were inflicted upon him with preparation and thought."
The court heard that sugar had been added to the boiling water to make the burns more severe.
The judge said: "This was a prison officer of 17 years.
"Prison officers put themselves in the front line, just like police officers and other emergency workers."
The attack left Mr Fowler with lasting scars and some of his skin has changed colour, the court heard.
He said: "It is a lasting reminder of what happened to me."
The teenager wrote a letter to the officer in which he says he is “truly sorry” and “I like you, because you helped me when I first came into prison.
“I apologise for doing what I did. I did not mean to cause you harm.
“The previous day I got group assaulted and I was still in the heightened and emotional state. I couldn’t go to sleep that night because my head was hurting from the beating. I was not thinking clearly.
“I look back at my actions with regret.
The teenager, who is already serving a 35-month sentence, will now serve an additional 18-month detention and training sentence for the attack.