Watch more of our videos on Shots!
and live on Freeview channel 276

Three men have been given extra prison time for their involvement in a planned fight at a young offender institution that involved weapons they had made from wood and plastic forks while in their cells.

Cale Coxen, Kemar Simpson and Dominic Daniels, all 19, were sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on Thursday (October 27) over the violence that broke out at Wetherby Young Offender Institution on December 29, 2020.

All three were 17 at the time and were at the juveniles prison for various offences including manslaughter, robbery and possession of a firearm. They are all now incarcerated at various adult prisons.

The court heard that the animosity had been “bubbling” in the institute between various groups prior to the planned fight and that weapons had been fashioned in cells.

The fight broke out at Wetherby Young Offender Institution in December 2020.

Prosecuting, Jeremy Robert Hill-Baker explained that the institution was keeping the prisoners in “family groups” at the time for when they exercised and showered due to the coronavirus restrictions.

The fight, which was captured on CCTV, happened when the groups were heading to various areas of the prison.

Daniels approached another prisoner and chased him around the staircase while holding a weapon. Coxen was then seen coming down the stairs with a weapon in his waistband before appearing to be stabbed by another prisoner, who was sentenced separately in Birmingham.

Daniels was able to catch up with the man he was chasing and stabbed him “on at least five occasions” in the head, face, legs and body with a sharpened piece of wood before prison officers intervened.

The three men were all 17 when the fight happened at Wetherby Young Offenders Institute

Simpson, who did not have a weapon, threw a “flurry of punches” during the violence.

Daniels was charged with affray, possession of an offensive weapon and unlawful wounding while Coxen was charged with affray and possession of an offensive weapon. Simpson was charged with affray.

The three men pleaded guilty to all of the charges.

Passing sentence, Judge Robin Mairs said: “There is no question that this was a pre planned fight and no question they had armed themselves.”

Coxen, who was already serving a sentence for possession of a firearm, was sentenced to 14 additional months imprisonment.

Daniels, who had a history of violent crime, was sentenced to 18 additional months.

Simpson, who was already serving a sentence for manslaughter, was sentenced to 12 more months.

Wetherby Young Offender Institution violence: Three jailed for planned fight with weapons made from wood and plastic cutlery