A CLACTON burglar who suffered “life-changing” injuries when he was stabbed while working in a prison kitchen has been awarded more than £5million in damages by the High Court.

Steven Wilson, 36, sued the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) after fellow inmate Patrick Chandler - who was serving a life term for murder - stabbed him 16 times in July 2018.

Mr Wilson said the incident had left him with life-long injuries and a phobia of kitchens.

Law - the case was heard before the High Court in LondonLaw - the case was heard before the High Court in London (Image: Google Street View)

A risk assessment of Chandler found it was “unknown” if he could be left unsupervised but he was still deployed to work in the kitchen with access to knives.

Wilson was on remand for aggravated burglary, for which he was later jailed for nine-and-a-half years, when he was attacked.

The MoJ admitted liability over the incident but challenged the level of Mr Wilson’s claim for damages.

In a ruling at the High Court on Friday, Judge Melissa Clarke awarded him £5.4million in damages.

About £2.4million of that sum will go towards serving Mr Wilson’s future care needs.

In a written judgment, the judge said: “There is no doubt that Mr Wilson’s life has been radically and permanently affected by the physical and psychiatric/psychological injuries caused by that terrible attack in the prison kitchen.

“I hope that despite his challenges, he is able to engage to the fullest extent with all the therapies that I have found he requires, so that his life is as full and active as it can be.”

In the 112-page ruling, the judge said the injuries Mr Wilson sustained included lacerations to his liver and stomach, penetrating wounds to his abdomen and chest wall, and an incomplete spinal lesion.

Murderer - Patrick Chandler was serving a life term in prison for murder and received a further sentence for the attempted murder of Steven WilsonMurderer - Patrick Chandler was serving a life term in prison for murder and received a further sentence for the attempted murder of Steven Wilson (Image: Essex Police)

The judge said as a result of the injuries, Mr Wilson needed a self-propelled wheelchair, “walking stick and walking frame to mobilise, depending on his levels of pain and fatigue”.

His attacker received a further ten-year sentence for the attack, which was added to the 18 years he was already serving for the murder of John Comer.

Mr Wilson was released in June 2021 because of the extent of his injuries.