AN inmate has admitted a string of offences, including attacks on, and threats to the property of officers, in two prisons, earlier this year.

The offences include conspiring with others to cause damage to the cars of 14 prison officers parked outside HMP Manchester, also known as Strangeways, on February 27.

Samuel Walker gave his guilty pleas to six offences, three each committed at HMP Manchester and at Durham Prison.

Walker, 37, originally from the Liverpool area, was appearing in person, having been produced at Durham Crown Court after being brought by prison van from HMP Forest Bank, in Greater Manchester, where he has been on remand recently.

He refused to leave his cell at that prison when he was due to give his pleas via video link at an earlier hearing.

When produced in the dock, at Durham, Judge Ray Singh addressed Walker, who was unrepresented.

A trial was previously provisionally pencilled in for late October, but would have involved production of a number of prison officers, from both Strangeways and Durham, to give evidence.

The judge said Walker could have his trial, if he wished, but said, should he admit the charges, with a deduction for the guilty pleas, he would be looking at a sentence of something like 18 months.

Walker said he would plead guilty if the charges were put to him.

He admitted the conspiracy charge, plus two counts of possession of a prohibited item, a mobile phone, both on admission and two days later in his cell at Strangeways, in February.

Walker also admitted assault on an emergency worker, a prison officer, and threatening to damage property, the home of another officer, both committed at HMP Durham in mid-March.

The final charge, also admitted by Walker, was making a threat to kill a male officer, uttered to a female officer, at Durham Prison, on May 5.

Judge Singh agreed to adjourn sentence to allow the Crown to seek the views of the officers involved in the Durham Prison incidents over their wishes as to the desirability of restraining orders being made to prohibit approaches or contact by Walker.

He remanded Walker to remain in custody, in Durham Prison, until the sentencing hearing, at the court next Tuesday (October 6).