A PRISONER serving a sentence for the death of another inmate was armed with an improvised weapon during an exercise yard confrontation, a court heard.

Kieron Dale Simpson was transferred to Durham Prison after a single punch assault caused the death of a 43-year-old inmate at HMP Doncaster, in February last year.

Durham Crown Court heard that the victim, Robert Bryan, died after striking his head on concrete in the fall after the blow was landed.

Simpson was subsequently jailed for four years after admitting manslaughter at Sheffield Crown Court and, due to the risk of reprisals in the local jail network in South Yorkshire, was moved to Durham to serve his sentence.

Jennifer Haigh, prosecuting, said during a supervised exercise period on D-wing at Durham, on March 8, Simpson became involved in an altercation with another inmate.

Miss Haigh said Simpson was seen “squaring up to” the other prisoner, before producing a makeshift weapon.

As a result the alarm was activated and Simpson was detained.

While he was being searched he produced the implement from his right trouser leg.

On examination it was found to be a toothbrush with two razor blades moulded into the head.

When he was interviewed he produced a prepared statement in which he claimed to have found the weapon in the exercise yard and merely picked it up, declining to answer further questions.

Asked by Judge Christopher Prince if that was still the defendant’s explanation, his counsel, Sean Fritchley, replied: “All he tells me is that he didn’t make it, but he’s not now suggesting he found it at that moment.”

Twenty-seven-year-old Simpson, of Dodworth, in Barnsley, admitted unauthorised possession of a bladed article in prison.

The court heard he has 49 convictions for 102 offences, including several for violence and possessing weapons in public.

Mr Fritchley told the court that, “in the harsher prison environment”, at Durham, he was “offered violence” by an individual.

He said Simpson was given the weapon, “to keep this gentleman away”.

Mr Fritchley said: “He didn’t have it to cause injury, but he knows what now follows.

“He intends to just keep his head down, do his time, and, on his release, try to lead a law-abiding life.”

Judge Prince described the weapon as, “particularly unpleasant”, due to its double razor head, and was capable of inflicting, “grave injuries”.

He imposed a further two years prison sentence on Simpson, to be served at the conclusion of the four-year term for manslaughter.

The judge also ordered confiscation of the weapon.