Three Bucks prisoners who held a fellow inmate hostage over several hours while beating him and threatening to kill him have been jailed for a combined total of 44 years.

Nathan Richardson, aged 23, and George Rayment, 24, had pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm with intent, false imprisonment and making threats to kill, while 37-year-old Anthony James was found guilty by a jury of false imprisonment.

At a sentencing on Friday, Amersham Law Courts heard how on January 10, 2018, at Woodhill Prison in Milton Keynes, the three men barricaded themselves in a cell with their victim and Rayment and Richardson beat him for several hours.

The court heard from the prosecutor that Rayment was in his cell while the two other men hid under the bunk bed, when the victim, Rayment’s cellmate Kieran Eames, entered the cell.

At this point the two men emerged from under the bed and the victim was tied to a chair before the offenders barricaded themselves inside the cell with Mr Eames.

During an ordeal that lasted nearly four hours, the victim was continually beaten by Rayment and Richardson, using weapons including a broken curtain, a television and a toilet seat.

The prosecutor told the court that at one point the victim was punched so hard he was “knocked to the floor”, suffering injuries to his head, face, arms, hands, legs and back.

According to prison officers who were outside the cell, the men inside could be heard “barking like dogs” and “giggling” during the incident.

After nearly four hours, officers raided the cell and got the victim out.

Before sentencing the three men, judge Tom Rochford said: “This must have been a horrific experience and had a real psychological impact on the victim.

“This is a situation that started in a jovial way, there was giggling from the men, certainly from Eames, perhaps the others found bizarre humour in the situation, but there was clearly a plan to hold him hostage.

“This also was a distressing experience for the prison officers who had to listen to this going on with considerable fear and anxiety for his life, they must have felt that his life was in their hands and that he could die if they made a misjudgement.”

All three men were already in prison for serious offences – Rayment had previously been given a 12-year sentence for an arson committed in prison.

Richardson was already serving a life sentence for a murder he committed in 2017, and James had been in prison for robbery.

Although James was convicted of false imprisonment, he was found not guilty of the two other offences.

James’s defence barrister told the court that his client did not participate in the beating, and was heard by prison officers telling the other two men to “stop”.

Judge Rochford acknowledged this, but added that he had planned with the others to take the victim hostage and did take action to end the hours-long ordeal.

Sentencing, judge Rochford gave Rayment a 14-year extended sentence, consecutive to his existing prison term, which will run until at least 2025.

Richardson was given a second life sentence, with a minimum term of 22 years.

James, who was only guilty of false imprisonment, was sentenced to eight years in prison.