A prisoner threw boiling water from a kettle on a fellow inmate before beating him and raping him.

Robert Reynolds' victim was taken to a specialist burns unit following the shocking attack at HMP Winchester.

Reynolds, 29, poured boiling water on the man's back and face. He then punched him, kicked him and raped him.

His victim, whom police describe as "a vulnerable man", was taken to hospital where he revealed he had been sexually assaulted.

Reynolds had denied grievous bodily harm with intent, two counts of rape and a sexual assault but was convicted by a jury at Salisbury Crown Court following a five-day trial.

Police say his victim, who was in his 20s, has been released from prison since the attack in July 2021, but still struggles to cope with the impact of Reynolds' crimes.

Appearing at Winchester Crown Court on Wednesday, Reynolds, of HMP Bullingdon, was jailed for 12 years.

Speaking after the hearing, 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.”