A teenager who poured boiling water over a 15-year-old boy in a Suffolk prison canteen has been sentenced to 22 months detention.

Ryan Birkett was serving a 54-month sentence for causing death by dangerous driving at the Warren Hill Young Offenders’ Institution at Hollesely near Woodbridge in December last year when he attacked the 15-year-old boy, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

The victim of the attack suffered blistering to his scalp, cheek, shoulder and upper arm as a result of the incident and was taken to the specialist burns’ unit at Broomfield Hospital at Chelmsford for treatment.

Birkett admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm on the teenager and was given a 22-month sentence of detention to run concurrently with the 54-month sentence he is currently serving.

Andrew Shaw, prosecuting, said that prior to the attack Birkett had filled up a container with hot water and could be seen on CCTV footage taking off the cap to the bottle shortly before pouring it over the 15-year-old boy while he was fighting with another inmate.

David Fellent for Birkett said the incident was not premeditated and urged the court to pass a concurrent rather than a consecutive sentence.