Prison inmate receives 11-year extended sentence for attacking prison officer
Benjamin Scott attacked a prison officer with boiling water and a kettle
Last updated 2nd Apr 2026
An inmate at HMP Onley in Northamptonshire has been given an 11-year extended sentence for a violent assault on a prison officer.
The attack occurred on the morning of 27th December 2024, when 46-year-old Benjamin Scott threw boiling water onto the officer's face and hit him several times over the head with a kettle.
The officer sustained second degree burns on the left side of his face but assisted colleagues in restraining Scott, who was then transferred to another prison.
He received medical treatment at University Coventry Hospital, including specialist care for an ocular burn in his left eye.
Following his arrest, Scott was charged with Section 18 – GBH with intent and confessed to the act, citing mental health struggles as the motive rather than a targeted attack.
Scott pleaded guilty at Northampton Crown Court on 19th November 2025 and received his sentence on 20th March 2026, comprising six years imprisonment plus a five-year licence extension.
Detective Constable Jamie Yates, the lead investigator, noted, “This was a particularly violent, unprovoked attack by Benjamin Scott who wanted to orchestrate a move from the prison. Such violence has no place in our society and that includes within the prison establishment, where prison officers should be able to feel safe to perform their duties without fear for their personal safety.
"The prison officer in this case acted bravely and professionally throughout considering the seriousness of his assault and I must praise him for this. We are pleased with the significant extended sentence imposed by the courts, as it not only reflects the severity and seriousness of the offence committed by Scott but recognises the danger that he presents to others.”
In 2012, Scott received a 15-year prison sentence after being convicted of manslaughter for an offence committed in Sheffield in 2011.