NORTHAMPTON — A 42-year-old Springfield man was sentenced to three to five years in state prison on Wednesday for a 2024 assault in the Hampshire County Jail in which he struck an inmate on the head with a metal lock hidden inside a laundry bag.
At a change of plea hearing before Judge David Hodge in Hampshire County Superior Court, Robert Anderson, facing a charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, pleaded guilty to assaulting a fellow inmate without provocation while he and the victim were both incarcerated at the Hampshire County Jail and House of Corrections.
According to a written statement from Northwestern district attorney’s office, the assault occurred in October 2024 during a routine institutional count while all inmates stood outside their cells. The attack left a significant laceration on the victim’s head.
“This was a serious and dangerous assault that could have resulted in far more severe injuries,” Assistant District Attorney Andrew Covington said in the statement. “We commend the correctional officers for their swift response in intervening, securing the scene and ensuring the victim received immediate medical attention.”
Medical staff treated the victim on-site before he was later transported to a hospital for further care.
“Violence inside correctional facilities is taken extremely seriously. It endangers both inmates and staff,” Covington said. “These facilities are closely monitored, and incidents like this are thoroughly investigated.”
