A notorious cop killer was convicted on Wednesday of carrying out a savage attack on a female guard at a top-security prison.
Former US Marine David Bieber, serving life for the murder of PC Ian Broadhurst, carried out the assault at HMP Long Lartin.
The 58-year-old attacked Alison Smith with a homemade pronged metal bar at the Category A Worcestershire prison in 2017.
He was cleared of attempted murder but found guilty of wounding with intent and possessing an unauthorised offensive weapon.
Bieber is serving a minimum term of 37 years for West Yorkshire Pc Broadhurst’s murder, which shocked the nation.
The bodybuilder was a fugitive wanted over alleged hitman-for-hire murder in Florida when he carried out the killing.
PC Broadhurst, 34, and a colleague pulled over Bieber’s BMW on Boxing Day 2003 because it was displaying false number plates.
The pair called for back-up and quizzed the American before he suddenly pulled a 9mm gun from his pocket and opened fire.
PC Broadhurst was fatally shot in the head and two other officers were hit by the gunfire.
Bieber, a drug dealer and steroid-addicted thug was convicted of murder and two counts of attempted murder.
He was handed a whole-life tariff in 2004 but this was reduced to 37 years by the Court of Appeal in 2008.
Bieber faces extradition to the United States for other offences if he is ever judged safe for release.
He claimed the attack on Ms Smith was “staged” in a bid to reverse cuts to his medication and get a move to HMP Belmarsh.
Bieber, also known as Nathan Coleman, attended his trial via video link from HMP Wakefield.
He had a “trusted role” as a cleaner at HMP Long Lartin at the time of the attack on Ms Smith.
The prison officer suffered wounds to her face and right arm and spent several days in hospital recovering.
In a victim impact statement, she described the attack as “life-changing”
and said she “genuinely believed” she was going to die.
Giving evidence, Bieber described himself as a “trained killer” who could have “killed her 10 times over” if he wanted to.
He said: “I’ve been professionally trained to kill, I’m an ex-Marine and know how to kill quickly and silently.
“If I’d wanted to I could have killed with my bare hands, I know how to snap someone’s neck.”
Jurors were not told about his criminal past during the trial at Worcester crown court.
He was absent from the case last week after being taken by an armed police guard to a hospital in Leeds.
Bieber will be sentenced in September.
The trial was rescheduled on eight separate occasions after Bieber repeatedly sacked his lawyers.
In her victim impact statement, Ms Smith said Bieber had “attempted to sabotage the trial at every opportunity”.
