FOUR prison officers from HMP Bullingdon have denied conspiring to pervert the course of justice.

The defendants appeared yesterday at Oxford Crown Court and also pleaded not guilty to conspiring to commit misconduct in a judicial or public office.

It is alleged that Martin Stooks, from Tingewick, Buckinghamshire, assaulted a prisoner at the prison, in Patrick Haugh Road, near Bicester, on February 4. The 43-year-old has been charged with two counts of assault by beating against prison inmate Jamie Cassell. He denies the charges.

He is also accused, together with his colleagues Mark Reed, 45, of Benson Close, Bicester, Martin Egerton, 24, of Bromeswell, Lower Heyford, near Bicester, and Nicholas McGregor, 38, of Manor Road, Witney, of falsifying prison documents.

All four men are charged with entering incorrect details on a “use of force record” on the day of the incident.

They are all due back in court on February 4 next year for a trial which is expected to last about six to seven days.

Judge Ian Pringle said that all four could be released on conditional bail.