A convicted killer attacked two prison officers because he was told he could not eat his lunch in a vest – because of health and safety reasons.

Ikikibiya Manuel, who murdered Canterbury dad Luke Brocklebank in 2009, lashed out at Umut Izgi and Anthony Giltrap at Swaleside Prison in Sheppey.

Manuel, 25, was a teenager when he stabbed Luke, 26, six times in an alleyway off Forrester Close behind Sturry Road.

He was jailed for life in November that year with a minimum tariff of 12 years.

Maidstone Crown Court heard how Manuel became angry on July 14, 2013 when Mr Izgi told him he could not be served lunch while wearing a vest because of the possibility of arm hair getting into the food.

He returned to his cell but Mr Izgi spotted him with two pieces of chicken and told him he should not have collected them and not to do it again.

Prosecutor Edmund Fowler said Manuel took exception to it and there was an argument. He told the officer: “Come to my cell if you think you’ve got it.”

He saw Mr Izgi later and threatened: “You’re pushing your luck with me. You don’t know what I am capable of.”

Senior officer Giltrap, who had built up a rapport with Manuel, tried to calm the situation, but the prisoner declared he had “had enough” and punched and kicked Mr Izgi repeatedly.

He also turned on Mr Giltrap and assaulted him.

One of the other officers pressed the alarm. Manuel was pushed away and he eventually calmed down. Both officers suffered bruises.

Mark Ruffell, defending, said Manuel had to get through his long sentence as best he could. “Things that happen in the outside world play on his mind,” he said.

“This was a Sunday. Health and safety dictates you are not allowed to wear vests because arm hair might get in the food. He became upset. This was a spontaneous explosion.”

Manuel, formerly of Camberwell, south east London, was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment after admitting two offences of assault causing actual bodily harm.

Recorder John McGuiness QC said Manuel had assaulted two men in public service. “You used a shod foot as a weapon,” he added. “The sentence will run from today. It will have been served long before you are released from the sentence you are currently serving.”

The murder trial heard Manuel was dealing drugs when he made the frenzied attack on Luke.

The jury was told Luke had told a friend he intended to rob Manuel of heroin. After the attack Luke was airlifted to a London hospital by Kent Air Ambulance but died soon afterwards.

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