A prisoner convicted of killing three men with a machine gun is in court charged with the attempted murder of two prison guards and the wounding with intent of a third.

Kevan Thakrar of Lomond Way, Stevenage attacked the officers with a broken bottle at Durham’s Frankland Prison, Newcastle Crown Court heard yesterday (Monday).

The jury were told the 23-year-old lured officers Craig Wylde, Claire Lewis and Neil Walker to his cell after claiming he was about to be beaten up, then used the broken end of a glass hot pepper sauce bottle he had hidden in his cell in the attack in March.

The prosecution said he stabbed Mr Wylde in the chest, then slashed his armpit and left arm, severing nerves and an artery. When the officers ran, Thakrar followed Ms Lewis along the prison landing and plunged the broken bottle into her back, narrowly missing her spine. He then slashed Neil Walker across the face, head and torso.

Tim Grittins, prosecuting, said Thakrar’s clear intention was to kill each of them. “He calmly and carefully lured the officers to his door having armed himself with that item with the intent of doing fatal damage and violence to those officers.”

Thakrar who is serving a life sentence for three murders and two attempted murders in Bishops Stortford 2008 described the attack as a “pre-emptive strike” following ill-treatment and abuse at the high security prison.

He denies the charges.

The trial continues.