Prisoner in England poured boiling water over inmate then beat and raped him

Robert Reynolds poured boiling water over a fellow inmate before beating and raping him. Photo / Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary

Content warning: Contains mentions of sexual assault and physical violence.

A prisoner who poured boiling water over a vulnerable fellow inmate before beating and raping him has been jailed for 12 years.

Robert Reynolds, a prisoner at HMP Winchester, threw boiling water from a kettle at the victim, causing burns to his back and face, before punching and kicking him during the attack in July 2021.

The 29-year-old then raped and sexually assaulted the man, who was in his 20s at the time, the Salisbury Crown Court heard.

The victim was initially treated at the prison before being taken to a specialist burns unit in hospital. He later reported the incident.

Reynolds, who’s now serving time at HMP Bullingdon, was found guilty on Wednesday following a five-day trial, having denied charges of grievous bodily harm with intent, two counts of rape and a sexual assault.

Police described the victim, who has since been released from prison, as “vulnerable” and said he is still affected both physically and mentally by the attack.

Detective Sergeant Harry Wilson said: “This was a horrific attack on a vulnerable man in a prison.”

“While the victim has since left prison, he continues to deal with the physical and mental impact of what happened to him.

“This was a difficult and long investigation, and I hope this shows that we will work closely with the prison to investigate any criminal offences that occur there.”