A SENIOR woman prison officer was attacked by an inmate because he wanted to be transferred from Durham Jail's close supervision unit, a court heard.

The jury at Newcastle Crown Court was shown a video recording of 43-year-old Raymond Gilbert punching officer Marie-Teres Corner in the face.

The unit houses dangerous prisoners who have either murdered or have been very violent or disruptive.

Alec Burns, prosecuting, told the court: "He says he was acting under duress, that the circumstances he was in meant he had to do it to get himself off that unit before he was seriously hurt or killed by another prisoner, called John Brookes."

However, Mr Burns said the prosecution refused to accept that he was driven to carry out the attack through fear, and claimed he simply attacked the smallest and only female officer on the block.

Gilbert denies assault occasioning actual bodily harm. The trial continues.