An inmate at a Suffolk prison who climbed over railings on the landing outside his cell threatened to cut off the head of a governor who tried to talk to him, it has been alleged.

Ade Christie told the governor that he wanted a transfer from HMP Highpoint and when the governor told him he wasn’t going about getting a transfer in the right way, Christie allegedly threatened to “start to cut staff up”.

He had then allegedly threatened to cut off the governor’s head and added: “You have no idea who I am. This is what I do.”

Giving evidence at Ipswich Crown Court, the governor said Christie had looked straight into his eyes when he made the threat to cut off his head.

“I felt very nervous and I thought he meant it,” said the governor.

Christie, 41, of no fixed address, has denied making a threat to kill the governor on July 31 last year.

The court heard that there had been a 15 to 20-foot drop from the railings and a specialist team had been called to the prison to deal with the situation, which ended several hours later with Christie returning to the right side of the railings.

The trial continues.