Prisoner jailed for killing inmate in attack

A prisoner who fatally attacked a fellow inmate at a prison in Leicestershire has been jailed.

Dennis Green, 42, suffered a serious head injury when he was assaulted by Damien Ward at HMP Fosse Way on 6 August last year, and died in hospital 15 days later.

Ward, 36, had initially been charged with murder, but prosecutors accepted a guilty plea to a charge of manslaughter in January.

He was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison at Leicester Crown Court on Friday.

The court heard Green, from Birmingham, was a "devoted father" and "known for his humour, warmth and loyalty".

He was handed a 12-month sentence for non-dwelling burglaries in May 2025, the court heard, and was at HMP Fosse Way - a Category C prison operated by private company Serco - on 6 August last year.

At about 16:20 BST, CCTV showed he was approached by Ward and the pair had a conversation before Green went back to his cell.

Minutes later, Ward approached the cell and punched Green to the head, causing him to fall to the floor and hit his head on the ground.

Ward was seen walking away after the punch, leaving others to attend to the victim.

Green was taken to hospital for treatment to his injuries, which included a skull fracture and a subdural haematoma on the left side of his brain, but he died on 21 August.

After Ward was arrested, he told police he had acted in self-defence as he believed he was under threat due to a debt owed to the deceased, who had lent him vapes.

The court heard Ward had a long history of abuse in his childhood, suffered from serious mental health problems, and had been "in and out of prison all his life".

Mary Prior KC, for the defence, said the prison was such a violent environment at the time that Ward was self-isolating and had been without medication for a week as a result.

"This prison had a significant rise in levels of violence between prisoners since its inception in 2023, and illict drugs were widely available, and [inspection reports] found [they] were a threat to the stabilty of the wing," she said.

Prior added the defendant was "used as a dog" by other inmates to threaten violence in relation to debts, and was "horrified" by what happened to Green.

She said Ward had since moved to HMP Leicester and had not been involved in any violence.

"He never meant to seriously hurt Mr Green," she said.

"For the first time in his life he's now understanding that actions have consequences."

Judge Timothy Spencer KC, sentencing, said Ward was "far too ready" to resort to violence in his life, but acknowledged the role of other inmates in the attack on Green.

"You were put on to this by others," he said.

"The violence that you were prepared to mete out is often associated with some debt."

The judge acknowledged the defendant's "bleak" background, adding he hoped the signs of remorse and a reformed character were genuine, but highlighted the loss of Green to his family and friends, and said Ward "will bear the burden of taking that man's life".

"The fact that he was a serving prisoner doesn't mean that he was less entitled to life than any other human being," he said.

"All human live is inviolable, and he was no exception."

In a statement, Green's family said they were "grieving an unimaginable loss".

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