Sarah Payne’s killer Roy Whiting stabbed inside his cell with ‘wooden shank’

Sarah Payne’s killer Roy Whiting has told a court how another inmate tried to kill him with a wooden shank.

The notorious murderer was left cowering under his bed after Andrew Light, 45, started attacking his head and neck with the crude weapon at the top security HMP Wakefield, jurors heard.

When a guard asked if Whiting was dead, Light allegedly replied: ‘Let’s hope so.’

Whiting told Leeds Crown Court: ‘I bled a hell of a lot – I thought it was something major.’

Prosecutor Michael Smith told jurors ‘we will not be seeking any sympathy for Roy Whiting’, who they heard is serving life for Sarah’s murder in 2000, but added in this case ‘he is the victim’.

Giving evidence, Whiting told the jury he was in his single occupancy cell on D Wing during the association period between 2pm and 4.30pm on February 11 last year.

He said Light came into his cell as he was stood beside his noticeboard marking down what he had eaten that day.

‘I heard the door open on my cell and an inmate walked in. I didn’t know him, I have never met him, never spoken to him,’ Whiting told the court.

‘I had seen him on the wing maybe once or twice. He asked me if I was Whiting, and I said “yes”.

‘And then he pulled a homemade shank and started to attack me with it. It was in his hand, and I didn’t see it until he pulled his hand around in front of him.

‘He didn’t say anything, rather than start swinging with me with the shank in his hand.’

Whiting said Light was raining ‘quite forceful’ blows to his face and head as he tried to defend himself with his arms.

He described losing his balance and falling onto his bed with his back towards the wall.

Light then lay on top of Whiting, the court heard, who managed to grab the bigger man’s wrists.

‘He was still trying to stab me with the shank, but he could not get any real power,’ Whiting said.

Light then stood up and Whiting used his legs to fend him off, he said, adding: ‘I was just trying to defend myself as best I could.’

He described been hit by ‘at least a dozen’ blows to his face and head, which were ‘coming in so fast and quick’.

Light then stood up, the court heard, and Whiting was able to get off the bed.

He said he then heard the ‘rattle’ of a prison guard’s keys and made a ‘lunge’ for the door and shouted out for help.

‘I knew I had been cut badly, I didn’t know exactly where,’ Whiting said, describing how he was ‘knackered’ after trying to fight off his attacker.

He said: ‘I got under my bed for protection.’

Officers then entered the cell and detained Light.

The court heard Light asked ‘Is he dead?’ to which a guard replied: ‘Let’s hope not.’

Light was said to have answered: ‘Let’s hope so.’

Jurors where shown photographs of the injuries to Whiting’s face ear, neck, and stomach.

Mr Smith told the jury Whiting was serving time in HMP Wakefield for the murder of Sarah Payne more than 20 years ago.

The jury was told that Light has admitted possessing a bladed article in the prison and also pleaded guilty to unlawfully wounding Whiting.

But the prosecutor said the attack was an attempt to kill Whiting or do him really serious harm.

Light denies attempted murder and wounding with intent.

The trial continues.

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