Jail For Prisoner Who Bit Officers

A prisoner has been sentenced for to six additional years in jail for biting several officers at prisons in Rochester, Sheppey, Durham and Worcester.

John Bernard Schock was jailed on 26 April after being found guilty of assault following an attack on two officers while in custody of HMP Elmley.

In all, he was convicted of five counts of grievous bodily harm, one of actual bodily harm and one of common assault. Schock will serve at least four years before he is eligible for parole.

He appeared at Maidstone Crown Court via videolink for the safety of those in the courtroom.

During the incident at HMP Elmley, on 24 June 2011, Schock bit one officer on the upper left arm and another on the wrist. The 23-year-old, currently in custody in Buckinghamshire, has links to Orpington and Bromley.

His sentence is also in connection with an incident on 30 June 2010 while in segregation at HMP Rochester, when he became disruptive in his cell, throwing around food.

He refused to engage with officers who then entered the cell with protective equipment. Schock bit an officer on the hand, tearing out a chunk of skin. He was later heard to say ‘I’ve still got the skin in my mouth and it tastes lovely.’

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Steven Goldsmith of Kent Police, said he welcomed the sentence and added: ‘Following a lot of hard work by both Kent Police and Her Majesty's Prison Service the jury correctly found Schock guilty of some serious offences.

‘Schock has a history of biting that appears to have increased in severity over the years and the public need to be protected from this type of offender.

‘The officers he attacked still have permanent reminders of their assaults from the bites but I hope now they can start to move on with their lives.’