Swansea prisoner gets life sentence for guard attack

An inmate has been given a life sentence for slashing the face of a prison officer with a homemade weapon.

Thomas Faulds, 26, attacked Kirk Fewings in June 2021 while in HMP Swansea, following an earlier attack on a fellow prisoner in HMP Berwyn.

Faulds, of Old Colwyn, Conwy county, admitted two counts of wounding with intent and possession of a bladed article.

He must serve at least 10 years and eight months.

Faulds was on remand in HMP Berwyn, near Wrexham, awaiting to be sentenced for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, when the initial attack took place.

The court heard he "lashed out viciously" at a fellow inmate with an improvised knife on 29 March 2021.

The judge said that "mercifully" the fellow inmate's injuries, while resulting in a permanent scar, were "not as serious" as intended.

Faulds was then moved to Swansea where, on 12 June, he attacked Mr Fewings after making an identical improvised weapon, described as being akin to a knife.

He slashed the right side of Mr Fewings' face, leaving him a "significant scar" and "difficulty with movement in his neck".

The night before the attack, Faulds warned Mr Fewings he would soon need "a sewing kit".

In a victim impact statement, Mr Fewings said he had not been able to return to work since the incident after suffering symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress disorder.