A FEMALE prison officer was left in 'agony' and was worried about going back to work after being assaulted by an inmate, a court heard.

Anthony Nicholas, 28, appeared at Weymouth Magistrates’ Court on Friday, April 12 to admit assault by beating of an emergency worker whilst in prison at HMP Portland.

Robert Salame, prosecuting, said Nicholas was involved in a fight with another inmate on November 7, 2022 when prison officer, Abigail Davies, intervened and attempted to restrain the other man. Nicholas ran towards them with the intention of kicking the other inmate.

As he did so, Nicholas kicked Mrs Davies to the side of her ribs which caused her to fall to the floor. She was left ‘lying on her left-hand side with her face in a puddle’, magistrates were told.

She was finding it hard to breathe and 'could not move without agony'. She was taken to hospital A&E where she was found to have bruised ribs as well as grazing to her chin and elbow.

In a victim impact statement read out in court she said: “I can’t walk my dog or vacuum without pain, and it takes me an hour to make my bed.

“The constant worrying is making me feel anxious. I am worried about going back to work – I was always confident in my abilities and now I’m not.”

Lee Christmas, mitigating, said: “The day before the incident, Nicholas was assaulted.

"The following day the same inmate attacks him – he never intended to kick the prison guard.

“The prison punished him, and his release date was delayed by five months.”

Nicholas, of Wilson Grove, Southsea, Portsmouth, was released from prison in June 2023.

Magistrates called for a probation report before sentencing and adjourned the case until May 15 at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court.