Moseley prisoner killed in 'ferocious revenge attack'

Adnan Rafiq was attacked in HMP Hewell

A prisoner died in hospital after a "ferocious" revenge attack by two other inmates, a court has heard.

Adnan Rafiq, 25, died in January, three days after the attack at HMP Hewell, near Redditch, Worcestershire.

A trial at Birmingham Crown Court heard Rafiq, from the Moseley area of the city, was attacked in the belief he had stolen from another cell.

Fellow-prisoners Barry Mundle, 34, Jermaine Christie, 28, and Jahnel Faure, 28, deny murder.

The victim is alleged to have been assaulted by Mundle and Christie, who had accused him of theft. Faure is alleged to have prevented Rafiq from escaping from the scene of the attack.

Opening the case against the three men, prosecutor Stephen Linehan QC claimed Mundle and Christie were both "enraged" at the theft of personal property.

The attack happened in a cell they shared, he said.

Serious skull injuries

"The third defendant, Jahnel Faure, took part by hindering Mr Rafiq when he was attempting to escape from the cell to get away from the attackers," Mr Linehan said.

"The violence was ferocious. He [Rafiq] suffered extremely serious injuries to his skull, to the bones of his face and to his brain."

The court heard that after Rafiq was found injured, blood was discovered on jogging bottoms worn by Mundle, while Christie is alleged to have asked another prisoner to dispose of his trainers.

Christie, from Birmingham, claimed to police that his cellmate had attacked Rafiq during a situation over which he had no control.

The trial continues.