Prisoner said 'that's for Sarah Payne' after stabbing her murderer in his cell
A prisoner told child killer Roy Whiting 'that was for Sarah Payne' after stabbing him with a shank in his jail cell, a court has heard.
Andrew Light, 45, is on trial accused of trying to kill Whiting, 66, with a crude wooden blade at the top security HMP Wakefield.
Whiting, who is serving a life sentence for the abduction and murder of Sarah in July 2000, was targeted last February.
Prison officer Alex Dyson told jurors at Leeds Crown Court Light said to Whiting as he was led away: 'See you later Roy. That was for Sarah Payne.'
Giving evidence, Mr Dyson said he was on a shift on D-Wing at around 4pm on February 11 when he heard 'muffled' cries of 'boss, boss' coming from cell D240.
Describing how he arrived to see Light stabbing Whiting, he said: 'My initial thought was that he was causing major injury and that Whiting's life was in immediate danger.
'I could see lots of blood on the weapon and there was blood on the floor. Whiting was trying desperately to get away and he had a grip of the cupboard at his right-hand side of the cell.
'But Light had a tight grip of him, and he could not get himself free.
'Andrew Light had his left arm around Roy Whiting's waist holding him, to stop him getting away. In his right hand he had a weapon, about six inches long, I couldn't tell at the time what it was.
'There was a lot of blood on Roy Whiting, there was a lot of blood on the floor and on the weapon, and he was stabbing him in his stomach, from behind.
'He was stabbing him around the side, around the front in the stomach quite furiously.
'He was using a lot of force. I thought at the time that he was killing him. There was a lot of blood. It looked horrific.'
PO Dyson said he activated his body-cam and summoned assistance while shouting for Light to 'drop the weapon', but the inmate ignored his orders.
The jury watched the clip, which showed PO Dyson brandishing a PAVA spray.
When fellow prison officers arrived the cell door was shut, leaving Light and Whiting in the cell together.
Whiting could be seen crawling under his bed for protection as Light resumed his attack.
Though the viewing hatch, PO Dyson saw him stab Whiting under the bed 'at least a dozen times', he said.
Guards then decided to enter the cell and cuff Light after he finally threw the weapon to the floor.
PO Dyson told the jury that it was protocol to lock a door when they had a 'hostage situation' and that had he entered alone whilst the attack was going on 'I'd probably get stabbed'.
The officer described Light using 'as much force as I think he could use'.
John Elvidge KC, representing Light, challenged PO Dyson's recollection, suggesting those words were not picked up on the body cam audio.
PO Dyson replied: 'I have heard it at some point because it is in my statement.'
Whiting suffered multiple cuts, including a bad cut to his ear, but his injuries were not life threatening, the court heard.
'He was very lucky. He came off a lot better than he could have been,' PO Dyson said.
Prison nurse Laura Mortimer-Reid was the first medical officer on the scene.
The jury watched video footage of a heavily bloodstained Whiting crawling back out from under the bed, bleeding from his left ear. More Trending
Mrs Mortimer-Reid said the wound to the ear was 'quite deep' and needed to be glued but other than that she described his injuries, including cuts to his hands and neck, as 'superficial' and 'not life threatening'.
The jury has been told that Light has admitted possessing a bladed article in the prison and also pleaded guilty to unlawfully wounding Whiting.
Light denies attempted murder and wounding with intent.
The trial continues.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
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Metro
5 days ago
- Metro
Prisoner said 'that's for Sarah Payne' after stabbing her murderer in his cell
A prisoner told child killer Roy Whiting 'that was for Sarah Payne' after stabbing him with a shank in his jail cell, a court has heard. Andrew Light, 45, is on trial accused of trying to kill Whiting, 66, with a crude wooden blade at the top security HMP Wakefield. Whiting, who is serving a life sentence for the abduction and murder of Sarah in July 2000, was targeted last February. Prison officer Alex Dyson told jurors at Leeds Crown Court Light said to Whiting as he was led away: 'See you later Roy. That was for Sarah Payne.' Giving evidence, Mr Dyson said he was on a shift on D-Wing at around 4pm on February 11 when he heard 'muffled' cries of 'boss, boss' coming from cell D240. Describing how he arrived to see Light stabbing Whiting, he said: 'My initial thought was that he was causing major injury and that Whiting's life was in immediate danger. 'I could see lots of blood on the weapon and there was blood on the floor. Whiting was trying desperately to get away and he had a grip of the cupboard at his right-hand side of the cell. 'But Light had a tight grip of him, and he could not get himself free. 'Andrew Light had his left arm around Roy Whiting's waist holding him, to stop him getting away. In his right hand he had a weapon, about six inches long, I couldn't tell at the time what it was. 'There was a lot of blood on Roy Whiting, there was a lot of blood on the floor and on the weapon, and he was stabbing him in his stomach, from behind. 'He was stabbing him around the side, around the front in the stomach quite furiously. 'He was using a lot of force. I thought at the time that he was killing him. There was a lot of blood. It looked horrific.' PO Dyson said he activated his body-cam and summoned assistance while shouting for Light to 'drop the weapon', but the inmate ignored his orders. The jury watched the clip, which showed PO Dyson brandishing a PAVA spray. When fellow prison officers arrived the cell door was shut, leaving Light and Whiting in the cell together. Whiting could be seen crawling under his bed for protection as Light resumed his attack. Though the viewing hatch, PO Dyson saw him stab Whiting under the bed 'at least a dozen times', he said. Guards then decided to enter the cell and cuff Light after he finally threw the weapon to the floor. PO Dyson told the jury that it was protocol to lock a door when they had a 'hostage situation' and that had he entered alone whilst the attack was going on 'I'd probably get stabbed'. The officer described Light using 'as much force as I think he could use'. John Elvidge KC, representing Light, challenged PO Dyson's recollection, suggesting those words were not picked up on the body cam audio. PO Dyson replied: 'I have heard it at some point because it is in my statement.' Whiting suffered multiple cuts, including a bad cut to his ear, but his injuries were not life threatening, the court heard. 'He was very lucky. He came off a lot better than he could have been,' PO Dyson said. Prison nurse Laura Mortimer-Reid was the first medical officer on the scene. The jury watched video footage of a heavily bloodstained Whiting crawling back out from under the bed, bleeding from his left ear. More Trending Mrs Mortimer-Reid said the wound to the ear was 'quite deep' and needed to be glued but other than that she described his injuries, including cuts to his hands and neck, as 'superficial' and 'not life threatening'. The jury has been told that Light has admitted possessing a bladed article in the prison and also pleaded guilty to unlawfully wounding Whiting. Light denies attempted murder and wounding with intent. The trial continues. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: 'Burglar' gets stuck in chimney trying to rescue his trapped dog MORE: Girl, 12, raped by three men after being lured from Asda 'wakes up at night screaming' MORE: 'Kardashian of Cheshire' conned friends out of £200,000 in Hermes handbag scam
Daily Record
6 days ago
- Daily Record
Sarah Payne's killer in court after fellow prisoner 'tried to kill him'
Child killer Roy Whiting came face to face with the man accused of trying to murder him behind bars. Child killer Roy Whiting left jail yesterday to give chilling evidence in court against a fellow inmate accused of trying to kill him in a vicious prison stabbing. Whiting, 66, is serving a life sentence for the 2000 abduction and murder of eight-year-old Sarah Payne. He appeared at Leeds Crown Court to testify against Andrew Light, 45, who is accused of launching a brutal attack with a makeshift weapon inside HMP Wakefield in February last year. The court heard how Light allegedly stabbed Whiting multiple times with a wooden shank. Light denies attempted murder, though he has already admitted to assault and possessing a weapon, reports the Mirror. Prosecutor Michael Smith said: 'We will not invite you to be sympathetic to any victim. There can be no doubt that Roy Whiting was a victim of an assault at the hands of Andrew Light who was also at the time in HMP Wakefield. 'Andrew Light has pleaded guilty to assaulting Roy Whiting and pleaded guilty to having a weapon in his possession when he did that. This case is about the intent with which he acted." He added: 'What the prosecution say is that attack was with intent to kill Roy Whiting, or an attempt to cause him really serious harm.' Jurors were told Whiting was left bleeding heavily after being struck behind the ears, forcing him to hide under his bed. 'The evidence of Whiting is that he was attacked with a wooden shank, an improvised weapon, in his cell... He was dragged back into cell, the attack continued and he was hit behind the ears, with heavy bleeding, so he hid behind the bed, and the attack came to an end when prison officers came to his aid," Mr Smith told the court. Whiting had made a short journey from Wakefield prison to Leeds under tight security. It was his first appearance in public in 24 years. The attack was captured on prison officer bodycam footage, with Light allegedly telling staff at the scene: "He is dead." Mr Smith said Light later told staff he "hoped" Whiting was dead. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Wearing a grey sweatshirt and glasses, Whiting described how he was blindsided in his cell after returning from evening association. Taking the stand, he said: 'I heard the door open to the cell, I did not know him and had never spoken to him. He asked if I was Whiting and I said yes and he had a shank, a wooden shank in his hand. 'He did not say anything and he started swinging at me with the shank in his hands... He was aiming for my head and face first off. It was quite forceful blows… I blocked some with my arms.' He went on: 'I fell backwards onto my bed against the wall… He was on top of me still trying to stab me… A couple of times I got hold of his hand and it eased up a bit.' Whiting said he tried desperately to shield himself from the flurry of blows: 'At least a dozen blows connected with arms, side of my face, they were everywhere… I was able to get up off the bed… I made a lunge for the door.' As he struggled to escape, Whiting said he was hit again: 'He hit me in the back, ribs, arms and he caught me on left ear and there was a lot of blood… I just dropped and rolled under bed quickly because I was exhausted.' He recalled prison officers shouting at the attacker: 'There were four or five of them all shouting - they told him to drop the knife a couple of times. He still had the shank in his hand, that is why I went under the bed.' Photos of Whiting's injuries were shown in court, including scratches to his face and stomach, and a significant injury to his ear. 'I knew I had been cut badly but didn't know exactly where,' he said. Under cross-examination by defence KC John Elvidge, Whiting confirmed he didn't need hospital treatment or stitches—just medical glue from prison healthcare staff. He demonstrated how the weapon had been used in a downward stabbing motion. Jurors were told there were no injuries sustained once Whiting was under the bed. He admitted having seen Light before, but said they had never spoken. 'I had a pen in my hand. It's possible I used it against him. I don't know if it was in my hand when the altercation started,' he added. Mr Elvidge suggested Whiting might have stabbed Light with the pen during the struggle. Whiting insisted he didn't know. The court heard the fight ended when officers intervened. Light was flanked by three prison guards in court, dressed in a blue tracksuit top. The judge reminded the jury not to discuss the case with anyone. The trial continues.
The Sun
6 days ago
- The Sun
Sarah Payne's killer tells court ‘I bled a hell of a lot' when he was ‘knifed with shank in prison cell by lag'
NOTORIOUS child killer Roy Whiting told a jury how he 'bled a hell of a lot' when he was stabbed in prison - as he gave evidence at his attacker's attempted murder trial. Whiting, 66, who is serving a life sentence for murdering eight-year-old Sarah Payne nearly 25 years ago, was left 'bleeding heavily' from at 'least a dozen' wounds to his head and neck. 4 Andrew Light, 45, stabbed the notorious inmate in maximum security HMP Wakefield in February last year using a wooden shank. Light admitted possessing a bladed article in the prison and also pleaded guilty to unlawfully wounding Whiting, but denies attempted murder and wounding with intent. Giving evidence, Whiting told a jury at Leeds crown court: 'I bled a hell of a lot, I thought it's something major.' Prosecutor Michael Smith told the jury 'we will not be seeking any sympathy for Roy Whiting', but he is 'the victim'. After attacking the paedophile, Light told a prison officer about his victim possibly being dead, adding: 'I hope so.' The prosecutor played the court body cam footage from a prison officer showing Light, covered in blood and holding the weapon, as Whiting took refuge from the 'stronger younger man' under the bed in his cell. Giving evidence in court, Whiting told the jury he was in his single occupancy cell on D Wing when Light entered. Whiting said: '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. '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 told the jury that he lost his balance and fell onto his bed with his back towards the wall. Light then lay on top of Whiting, who managed to grab his attacker's wrists, it's claimed. Whiting said: 'He was still trying to stab me with the shank, but he could not get any real power. 'I was just trying to defend myself as best I could.' Light then stood up and Whiting used his legs to fend him off. He then heard the 'rattle' of a prison guard's keys and made a 'lunge' for the door and shouted out for help. Whiting said: 'I knew I had been cut badly, I didn't know exactly where. 'I got under my bed for protection.' Officers then entered the cell and detained Light. Light told the guards 'He's dead' - referring to Whiting under the bed. He later asked 'Is he dead?' To which a guard replied 'Let's hope not.' Light answered 'Let's hope so.' Mr Smith told the jury Whiting was serving time in HMP Wakefield for the murder of Sarah Payne in 2000. Light denies attempted murder and wounding with intent. The trial continues. 4 4
