A teenage killer threw boiling water in a jailer’s face after being told his prison status was being downgraded, a court has heard.
Armin Mehdikhanai-Sarvejahani, 17, was an inmate at Rochester‘s Cookham Wood jail awaiting sentence for the murder of a 16-year-old boy when the attack – known as ‘kettling’ – on prison officer David Boorman occurred.
Maidstone Crown Court heard that the yob “impulsively” hurled the water at the guard through his cell door hatch on April 4 last year, in reaction to being told he would be losing his place on an enhanced status wing at the young offenders’ institution (YOI).
The decision to move him within the prison – once described as “inhumane” by inspectors and since repurposed into one for adult offenders – had been made after he had handed over an improvised weapon to staff ahead of his cell being searched earlier that day.
But it was as Mr Boorman was speaking through the gap in the door to the Iranian teenager that he was suddenly attacked.
The liquid, which he later described as tasting sweet in his mouth, left the guard “screaming, crying and retching” in pain from the resulting burns to his face.
The court heard the dad also suffered from anxiety and flashbacks as a consequence and eventually had to transfer to another prison due to his “overwhelming” memories.
A month after the assault, Mehdikhanai-Sarvejahani was jailed for life with a minimum 17-year term for the murder of A-level business and law student Mustafa Momand in Brighton in October 2023 over a drug debt.
Now, in the same week that the government has announced measures to tackle rising violence behind bars, the teenager has been handed another prison sentence for the assault on Mr Boorman.
Prosecutor Christina Rowberry told the court on Thursday (July 31) that Mehdikhanai-Sarvejahani had been on remand at the facility in Sir Evelyn Road awaiting trial at Lewes Crown Court, and then sentencing after being found guilty.
Despite his conviction, his conduct while behind bars was reflected by the fact he was being held in an enhanced prisoner unit, she explained.
Mr Boorman was also said to “get on” with detainees, including the defendant who was then aged 16, and was one of the staff members who had spoken to him about being downgraded after the voluntary handing over of the illicit weapon.
But it was as inmates were being let out of their cells for exercise later that morning that trouble flared, the court was told.
The decision had been made that all those who were being moved off the unit would have to remain locked up until detainees with continuing enhanced status returned.
The officer had just finished explaining this to Mehdikhanai-Sarvejahani at his cell door when he was hit by “a volume of hot water”, said Ms Rowberry.
“He felt immediate pain and it was so significant that he screamed,” she told the court. “The water hit the right side of his face, went on his eye, and he immediately put his hands up to his face. He then staggered away.”
Having heard the cries of pain, his colleagues came to his assistance and administered emergency treatment to his “red and split skin” before taking him to hospital with first-degree burns and nerve damage.
Describing how his head was held under a running cold tap for at least 20 minutes, Ms Rowberry said: “One colleague recognised how much pain he must have been in by the sounds he was making.
“He was significantly distressed, crying and retching, and made himself sick. He seemed to have what she (the colleague) described as a panic attack.”
In three statements made over the past year, Mr Boorman detailed not only the physical effect of the assault, which includes scarring, but also its “profound” emotional and psychological impact on himself, his wife and children.
In one, he wrote about how on arriving home it was “horrible having the children crying and hugging me, saying ‘What happened Daddy? Did it hurt?'” and having to tell them it did not.
He also described having to rebuild his confidence and still feeling “a burning sensation” when there was no physical cause.
Mehdikhanai-Sarvejahani, whose address on the court record is Oasis Restore School in Rochester, appeared for sentencing via video link with HMP/YOI Wetherby in Yorkshire, having pleaded guilty to attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent.
His lawyer, Houzla Rawat, said his actions that day were “reactionary” and committed not only out of fear of what would happen to him on another wing at the youth jail but also against a background of high turnover of staff, cell lock-ups lasting up to 23 hours a day, assaults among inmates and a lack of education.
But she added that the teenager did not blame Mr Boorman for his predicament that day and had since shown remorse for the attack.
“It was on being told he was being moved to a part of a prison where he was likely to face violence that this impulsive offence took place,” Ms Rawat told the court.
“He had been convicted of murder and was awaiting sentence. It was an extremely stressful time for him as a young person and there were a number of problems in that institution.
“He was on the enhanced wing because there had not been any problems. This incident stood out in isolation as to how he engaged with staff.
“What took place and why it took place is a reflection of the problems he was dealing with since he was a child.
“He has expressed remorse and has asked me to convey his apologies to Officer Boorman for what took place.”
Although the prosecution argued there was an element of revenge to the assault, this was dismissed by the judge, Recorder Matthew Hellens, who, on sentencing, described the teen’s actions as “more oppositional” due to frustration and not fully understanding his situation.
He added he also bore in mind the defendant’s traumatic childhood, as well as the “many criticisms” of Cookham Wood which would have made his circumstances “all the more difficult”.
But on passing a sentence of two years’ detention and training, he reminded Mehdikhanai-Sarvejahani that Mr Boorman had been carrying out a public service when he had the cup of boiling water thrown at him.
“I don’t know the life experiences and have not had the life experiences of the defendant and would not know what my response would be to them,” said Recorder Hellens.
“But the incorrect response was plainly what occurred on April 4, 2024.
“The victim was said by the Crown to be fortunate not to have suffered very significant injury. Given where the liquid fell, he was fortunate again not to have some obstruction to his sight.
“I expect the defendant to reflect long and hard about his behaviour.”
Due to the fact he is serving a life sentence, the punishment imposed for the assault will be served concurrently rather than consecutively and therefore will not impact on any release date.
Mehdikhanai-Sarvejahani thanked the judge at the end of the hearing.
Despite the defendant being 17, the judge decided after hearing representations from KentOnline – and opposing arguments from his barrister – that reporting restrictions granting him anonymity should not be imposed.
Recorder Hellens said such a gagging of the press would be “disproportionate” due to the fact his identity was already in the public domain by reason of his murder conviction and any anonymity order made would automatically lift when he turns 18 next week on August 7.
In the same week of Mehdikhanai-Sarvejahani’s sentencing, the Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood announced a trial scheme in which specially-trained prison staff will be issued with Tasers, plus the use of AI across the criminal justice system to help identify dangerous prisoners and stop the flow of weapons and other contraband.
