The full story behind prolific Cambs criminal who threw poo over a prison guard

Jacob O’Dell also ran over a 12-year-old girl, smashed up his gran’s house and threatened to rape children

A prolific Cambridgeshire criminal has had his jail sentence extended after he covered a prison officer in poo and urine, which wasn’t the first crime he committed involving human excrement.

But 24-year-old Jacob O’Dell’s most serious crime was when he ran over a 12-year-old girl at the Sainsbury’s petrol station in Coldham’s Lane, Cambridge.

In September last year, O’Dell had just filled up his petrol tank when a police car pulled up at the pump alongside him. O’Dell claimed the two police officers in the car had “panicked” him, knowing he had no valid licence or insurance.

As result, he sped out of the petrol station without paying for his fuel, and in his haste to run he collided with the young girl, leaving her with serious injuries.

She’d been cycling with a friend and was using the zebra crossing towards the McDonald’s nearby.

The girl, who has since made a full recovery, was rushed to Addenbrooke’s where it was found that she had a fractured pelvis, severe bruising, bruising to her ribs, various cuts, and a head injury.

O’Dell didn’t stop the car after he hit the youngster and was eventually caught in a car park near Cottenham Village College, but not before he tried to ram a police car out of his way.

This incident wasn’t O’Dell’s first brush with the law either.

Since the age of 11, O’Dell’s grandmother has tried everything to help him since he first entered the prison system, such as interventions and various programmes, but nothing was right for him, his defence, Robert Pollington, said at his trial in Cambridge Crown Court at the start of this year.

“He is a child in terms of his decision-making,” said Mr Pollington, adding that he was “stupid”.

He also said what happened on September 28 was a “momentary lapse of concentration”, but he has demonstrated a level of “extreme remorse”.

O’Dell’s grandmother was present at the hearing – despite previously being a victim of his crime when he ripped the doors in her house off their hinges – and waved as he was jailed for three-and-a-half years.

The court heard how O’Dell had a “substantial” criminal record, with 26 previous convictions totalling 64 offences, dating back to 2007 – when he was just 11.

His criminal record first began in the youth courts, with “relatively minor” cases of criminal damage and assault.

Throughout the years he was further convicted of possession of cannabis, common assault, aggravated vehicle taking, making off without payment, and more.

He also went to a young offenders’ institute for 13 months.

O’Dell also has eight points on his licence, with Judge Bridge adding that he had an “appalling driving record”.

In 2017, he was sentenced for a raft of crimes, including charges of using threatening and abusive words to cause harassment, racially related harassment, three burglaries, thefts from cars and shops, attempted theft, criminal damage of his grandmother’s home and driving offences for driving without insurance and not in accordance with a licence.

He was jailed for 30 months then.

On previous occasions, O’Dell also threatened to kill a security officer after he was caught attempting to shoplift.

He was also previously sentenced for burglary after he smashed his way into a house and stole priceless family heirlooms, leaving his victims “feeling sick”.

On one occasion, O’Dell hurled abuse at a passing cyclist in St Andrew’s Street.

And after a confrontation, O’Dell shouted: “I’m going to stab you and chop your head off with an axe.”

Then while in custody in May 2017, O’Dell urinated all over the floor of his cell before threatening to rape the supervising officer’s children, saying: “You f***ing p*ki c*** I’ll rape your kids. EDL mate, go back to your own country.”

He also joked he had five Kinder eggs worth of drugs in his rectum.

And then in 2017, he smashed up his grandmother’s home, after demanding to know “where his axe was” and asking for money.

But even when O’Dell was locked up he continued on his path of destruction, leaving for a second time a wake of human excrement.

In December last year, having only been a prisoner at HMP Peterborough for a few months he once again lashed out.

Arming himself with a bucket containing a mixture of urine and poo he hurled its contents over one of the female prison officers.

The attack, known as “potting” within prison circles, left the victim covered in faeces, despite her attempts to shield herself.

When interviewed, O’Dell claimed he was pressured into committing the offence by another inmate, but later admitted charges of administering a noxious substance with intent to injure.

He was jailed for an additional 18 months on Monday, November 2, at Cambridge Crown Court.

DC Zoe Slater said: “This was a disgusting, unprovoked attack that nobody should have to endure.

“Prison staff work hard to ensure the safety of inmates and should be able to do so without fear of being attacked.”

Already serving a three and a half year sentence for running over the 12-year-old girl, O’Dell was given an additional 18 months to his overall sentence.

Cambridge News