§ Mr. Hughesasked the Home Secretary why prison officer Bourne, who was assaulted by an inmate of Feltham Borstal Institution, was subsequently discharged from the prison service?
§ Mr. H. MorrisonOn the evening of 12th April Officer Bourne when on duty in charge of some inmates at the Feltham Borstal Institution was struck on the back of the head with an iron bar by an inmate named Miller. Miller then ran out of the room with the iron bar in his hand. Officer Bourne pursued him and caught him and a struggle ensued, in which other inmates who had followed tried to help the officer. The iron bar was taken away from Miller. At this stage Miller had no noticeable injuries. Officer Bourne then sent the inmates except Miller into the dining hall and locked the door. A further struggle then took place between the officer and Miller; the other inmates hearing screams rang the alarm bell in the dining hall. On the arrival of two other officers Miller was found lying on the ground in a dazed condition. He had received serious injuries, including two scalp wounds down to the bone and three fractured fingers, two on one hand and one on the other. Miller stated that he had been struck with the iron bar; his injuries were consistent with blows so caused and were inconsistent with a fall against a hard surface.
The evidence at the inquiry showed that the first struggle was necessary and that no improper force was used; and the sole question was whether during the second struggle when no one but Officer Bourne and Miller was present, unnecessary force was used. The conclusion was that the serious injuries received by Miller could only have been due to inexcusable violence on the part of Officer Bourne. The suggestion that this conclusion rested solely or mainly on the evidence of prisoners is mistaken. The medical evidence as to the nature of Miller's injuries left no doubt 738W as to how they must have been caused and showed that Officer Bourne's account of what happened could not be accepted. As one of the qualities required of a prison officer is that in dealing with troublesome or refractory prisoners he should be able to maintain self-control and refrain from using unnecessary force, it was decided that Mr. Bourne could no longer be regarded as suitable to have charge of prisoners or Borstal inmates, and that he should be removed from the prison service on the ground of his inability to discharge efficiently the duties of his office. He was awarded a retiring allowance based on his years of service less 10 per cent. under the provisions of Section 2 of the Superannuation Act, 1887.