Cambridge Prison Mutineers Built Barricades and Weapons in 10-Hour Revolt
Eight convicted killers seized control of part of a high-security prison wing during a violent 10-hour mutiny at HMP Whitemoor near March, Cambridgeshire. The group, all serving life sentences for murder or conspiracy to murder, refused to return to their cells at lunchtime on 7 October 2022, sparking a major security incident that required a national response.
Barricades and Slippery Floors
Furniture was dragged across the spur area of the wing to form barricades, while oil, shower gel, and shampoo were poured across the floor to make it too slippery for officers to enter safely. Prison staff initially attempted to calm the situation and continued locking other inmates in their cells, but were forced to withdraw after being threatened by the armed prisoners.
Escalation and Improvised Weapons
As the standoff escalated, the prisoners armed themselves with broken table legs and kettles fashioned into weapons. They also created improvised head protection to shield themselves from PAVA spray and pyrotechnic devices. A national prison response team and specialist negotiators were deployed, but attempts to resolve the situation peacefully were unsuccessful.
Final Confrontation and Sentencing
At around 8pm, officers attempted to enter, only to find the group had further secured their position. The eight men later retreated into the cell of Korie Hassan, where they constructed another barricade. By approximately 10pm, the national response team had regained control of the wing and restrained the prisoners.
Dior Diego Jackson, 27, was the final member of the group to be sentenced at Cambridge Crown Court on Friday (20 February) after admitting violent disorder. He received an additional one year and nine months on top of his existing sentence. The other prisoners sentenced were:
- Rick-Champion Champion Musaba, 30, sentenced to four years on top of his existing sentence after being found guilty of participating in a prison mutiny.
- Nicholas Bridge, 26, sentenced to three years and six months on top of time already served after being found guilty of participating in a prison mutiny.
- Bradley Blundell, 26, sentenced to one year and six months on top of his existing sentence after pleading guilty to violent disorder.
- Irwin Constable, 25, sentenced to three years and six months on top of time served after being found guilty of participating in a prison mutiny.
- Korie Hassan, 33, sentenced to three years and four months on top of his existing time behind bars after admitting violent disorder.
- Jahliel Rose, 29, sentenced to one year and four months on top of his time served after admitting violent disorder.
- Troy Muschett-Thomas, 25, handed one year and six months on top of his existing sentence after pleading guilty to violent disorder.
Investigation and Consequences
Detective Constable Emma Purser, who investigated, said: “The eight prisoners involved in this case offered extreme violence towards staff and took control of the prison’s spur area for about ten hours. When sentencing, the judge noted that it was only because of the professionalism of the officers who went on to the wing and faced the violence that no-one was seriously hurt.”
All of the prisoners involved are already serving life sentences but have now received prison terms of at least 16 months on top of the time they are already serving. The highest consecutive sentence handed down by the judge was another four years behind bars, and overall, when added together, the extra time totals 20 years.
Purser added: “This investigation was a lot of work over the past three years, with hours of CCTV footage to search through and interviews to carry out all over the country.” Only four of the men agreed to be interviewed and made no comment, highlighting the challenges faced by authorities in resolving such incidents.
