A man convicted of rape carried out a brutal assault on another inmate by pouring scalding water over him in a prison attack. Ethan Rowley, then 19 years old, was awaiting trial for serious sexual offenses when he received a 21-year sentence at Derby Crown Court last summer. Following the motiveless attack he committed, the 20-year-old will now spend an additional nine months behind bars.

The victim sustained severe injuries, with skin hanging off his genitalia and legs, as revealed during the proceedings at Nottingham Crown Court. Judge Michael Auty KC noted the gravity of Rowley’s actions, stating that the victim suffered blistering and skin damage due to the scalding water thrown by Rowley in the shower block at HMP Nottingham.

The assault occurred on November 8, 2024, when Rowley, already inside a cubicle in the shower block, targeted the victim who had just entered. According to the prosecution by Samantha Warner, Rowley left the area but returned shortly after, holding a mop bucket filled with a harmful substance. Without prior interaction, Rowley threw the contents at the victim, causing immediate and severe pain, skin blistering, and burns.

Rowley, currently incarcerated at HMP Swinfen Hall in Staffordshire, pleaded guilty via video link to the charge of intentionally throwing a destructive substance to cause harm. In July of the previous year, he was sentenced to 21 years for raping two women in Derbyshire and has a history of violence convictions.

In his defense, Gregor Purcell acknowledged the severity of the harm caused by Rowley but highlighted his youth and the significant prison term he is already serving.