Knife thug wanted shorter sentence after gaining weight in jail

A cheeky prisoner who stabbed someone in the buttocks during a fight tried to get his jail time reduced because being locked up made him gain weight.

Ben White, 34 and from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, piled on more than seven stone during his stint on remand and claimed he'd had only had one face-to-face visitor in that time.

He was locked up for 23 hours a day for 15 months after being banged up last year for the altercation in Sheffield with two brothers, which left one of them with a 2cm wound to his backside.

According to The Sun his brief Joy Merriam told the court of his tough time in jail, adding: "He has gained over seven stone in weight."

However Recorder Benjamin Nolan was unimpressed by the plea on behalf of White when he said: "Well, at least the prison food has been edible."

White admitted wounding and possession of a bladed article, criminal damage, making threats to cause criminal damage and handling stolen goods.

Prosecutor Nadim Bashir had earlier told Sheffield Crown Court: "The argument developed into a scuffle and White produced a knife. There was a chase, the complainant was cornered and stabbed in the ­buttock, causing a 2cm wound that required stitches."

White, who attacked the man with a flick-knife in a street row with two brothers in April last year, was sentenced to 30 months in jail.

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Recorder Mr Nolan said: "There has to be a prison sentence because of the wounding offence.”

However he added White would be released almost immediately due to the time spent on remand.

The judge added: "I appreciate the last 15 months have brought incredibly difficult conditions for prisoners because of Covid."

A leading campaigner against knife crime in South Yorkshire, Anthony Olaseinde who runs Keep Sheffield Stainless, recently warned the end of lockdown could trigger a rise in attacks after two people were murdered in April this year.

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