Man jailed after throwing paint stripper on prison officers' cars at HMP Manchester

Elliot Cummings, 27, also used a hammer to smash windows.

Author: Victoria GloverPublished 23rd Nov 2017

A man has been jailed for almost two years after causing more than £5,000 worth of damage to prison officers' cars at HMP Manchester.

Elliot Cummings, 27, of Mull Avenue, Longsight has been sentenced to one year and eight months behind bars after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit criminal damage and handling a stolen motor vehicle at a previous hearing.

He was also handed six points on his driving licence.

Cummings targeted six vehicles in the staff car park at Strangeways on Wednesday 11th October. He threw paint stripper on the cars before smashing windows and causing more damage to the paintwork using a hammer.

Police officers were quickly on the scene and began chasing Cummings down Bury New Road and alongside the River Irwell, where he was caught and found with keys for a stolen car.

Detective Constable Adam Cronshaw of the City of Manchester Challenger Unit, said: “Elliott Cummings planned this attack in advance with intent to cause as much damage as possible knowing the prison officers were working hard inside the prison late at night.

“The staff at the prison have a difficult and demanding job as it is, without having to deal with this kind of malicious vandalism.

“This sentence will provide Cummings with plenty of time to reflect on his spiteful actions whilst on the inside of the prison walls.”