'Another inmate' slashed Whiting

Whiting was returning to his cell when he was attacked

A prisoner accused of attacking child killer Roy Whiting with a razor has claimed another inmate was responsible.

But convicted murderer Rickie Tregaskis said he was not an informer and refused to name the man that slashed Whiting, 44, across the face at Wakefield jail.

The 35-year-old told Leeds Crown Court: "In jail your life is hell if you are known as an informer."

Tregaskis denies wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. The trial continues.

I saw another inmate next to Whiting. I knew something had happened Rickie Tregaskis

Whiting, serving a life sentence for the murder of Sarah Payne, was allegedly slashed by Tregaskis as he returned to his cell after filling a flask with hot water.

He was left with a six-inch scar on his right cheek following the attack on 4 August 2002.

Tregaskis, who is serving life sentence for kicking a man to death, told the jury he did not consider Whiting the worst offender at Wakefield.

He told the court Whiting was attacked after passing him on the corridor of D wing.

"I saw another inmate next to Whiting. I knew something had happened," he said.

He told the jury he then returned to his cell, adding: "If anything happens in jail like that, that's the first thing you do. That's what a proper inmate would do, move out of the vicinity fast."

Violence threat

Earlier, the court was told Tregaskis, who has 130 criminal convictions, had a conversation with prison officer Elizabeth Harmer in which he spoke of using violence to secure a transfer out of the category A prison.

The threat came two weeks before he allegedly used a razor blade to slash Whiting across the right cheek.

Mrs Harmer was compiling a sentence planning report on Tregaskis when the threat emerged.

She told the jury at Leeds Crown Court: "During the interview I mentioned the comments he wanted to leave Wakefield.

"He wanted a transfer and he would injure, kill or use violence in order to get the transfer."

The trial was adjourned until Thursday.