A prisoner threw hot water over an inmate at Wayland jail scalding his chest and neck, a court heard.

Robert King, 41, threw the water from a jug over the victim as he stood near his cell, on A wing, Norwich Crown Court heard.

Danielle O'Donovan, prosecuting, said that the prisoner was left with reddening on his chest and neck. but no lasting injuries.

Ms O'Donovan said it would have caused the victim significant pain.

She said the water was either boiling or recently boiled moments before the assault.

She said that an aggravating feature of the attack was that it took place inside a jail and said that King has used the hot water as a weapon. She said that the victim had not made any impact statement about the assault.

King, from Bedford admitted causing actual bodily harm on April 28, last year.

Alex Bernie, for King, said that King had been washing up the jug using very hot water moments before the attack.

He said there had not been any planning to the incident.

He said there was no lasting injury to the victim: "He was attended to by a nurse and no hospitalisation was needed."

He said that King was moved to another prison and was released in July, and has since turned his life around.

"He has turned a corner after this offence . He has shown reform."

Sentencing him, Judge Anthony Bate said that fortunately the burns had been superficial .

He said there was some bad blood between the two men and said that assaults in prison can quickly escalate and other people could have got hurt.

However he accepted that King had made progress and imposed a six month jail sentence suspended for 18 months.

He said there was a good prospect of him showing some reform.

He was also ordered to do 150 hours unpaid work.