A SECURITY contractor which has admitted health and safety failings that allowed a mentally ill prisoner to kick a custody officer to death is expected to be sentenced in the new year.

Humphrey Burke, now 29, attacked 54-year-old Lorraine Barwell as she tried to escort him from his cell in Blackfriars Crown Court in central London in June 2015.

Burke admitted manslaughter by diminished responsibility and was handed an indefinite hospital order at the Old Bailey in January.

Ms Barwell’s employer, Serco, which is contracted by the Ministry of Justice to provide security services in courts, pleaded guilty in April to one count of failure to discharge general health, safety and welfare duty from January 2014 to March 2017.

The prosecution alleged that two attacks on custody officers, Ms Barwell and Bernadette Cawley, within that period demonstrated what could happen without the right health and safety steps being taken.

Today, the case came before Mr Justice Jeremy Baker to hear more evidence over two days.

Proceedings are expected to be adjourned, with the sentencing concluding on a date to be fixed in the New Year.