Fabio Serrano who was just 16 when he stabbed a man to death in broad daylight in Newcastle, has had his prison term extended for the second time for assaulting prison officers – this time at Whitemoor Prison, March, Cambridgeshire.
Serrano was given a life sentence for manslaughter, with a minimum of five years, in April 2018.
But whilst in prison he has gone onto commit assaults on staff including punching a female prison officer whilst in Full Sutton Prison, York.
For that offence – committed in July of 2021 – he was jailed for six months, to run consecutively to his five-year minimum life sentence.
The same year, October, and whilst at Whitemoor Prison he attacked a prison officer serving evening meals to the prisoners who opened the door to Serrano’s cell.
Serrano claimed his food had been contaminated and approached the officer with a wire wrapped around his right hand.
He punched the officer in the chin and continued to throw punches.
The prison officer was taken to hospital for treatment for serious injuries.
On 21 October, at Cambridge Crown Court, Serrano, now of HMP Wood Hill, Milton Keynes, was jailed for 30 months, having pleaded guilty to actual bodily harm.
He was also found guilty of two counts of unauthorised possession in prison of an offensive weapon.
DC Emma Purser said: “Serrano is an incredibly dangerous criminal who has previously assaulted prison officers so it’s good news his sentence has been extended.”
The Newcastle Chronicle, reporting on his original manslaughter conviction, said Serrano already had a number of convictions for public order offences and two for robberies in 2014 and 2016.
Since his remand in custody, his violence continued.
“In March 2017, he was found with a sharpened toothbrush or cutlery and in May he produced an improvised weapon made from a broken TV remote circuit board and tried to injure another inmate during a fight,” the newspaper reported.
“In August he smashed a tray into a prison officer’s face, one of several incidents of aggression towards staff at a young offenders institution.
“In September last year he used an improvised weapon to strike another inmate and later the same month he strangled another inmate.”
There was further violence when he was moved to a secure hospital.
At his original trial in 2018, Judge Sloan told him: “I’m satisfied in your case there’s a significant risk to members of the public of serious harm occasioned by the commission by you of further specified offences.”
Paul Greaney QC, for Serrano, said: “The most significant mitigating factor is his age, just 16 at the time of the killing.”
Fabio Serrano was only 16 years old when he attacked Frankie Cooper in Princess Square just off Northumberland Street.
He was with a group of friends when he saw 22-year-old Frankie by chance and a confrontation between the pair ensued.
Following a heated argument, which took place in the middle of the day in a busy area of Newcastle, Frankie threw a punch at Serrano but failed to connect.
The teenager, who had his face covered with a bandana, then pulled out a knife and stabbed his victim in the heart.
Frankie fled the scene clutching his chest, but a short time later collapsed as he made his way back to his flat in Bewick Court.
Paramedics tried desperately to save his life and managed to keep him alive before he was admitted to hospital.
He was placed in an induced coma, but doctors were unable to save him, and he died five days after the attack.
Serrano was cleared of murder but convicted of the manslaughter following a trial and was jailed for life, with a minimum term of five years.
Following the case, senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Paul Waugh said Serrano was a “dangerous individual” and deserved to be jailed for life.
He said: “Frankie Cooper was a young man who was stabbed in the heart in the middle of Newcastle city centre.
“Fabio Serrano was only 16 years old when he committed this offence but he is a dangerous individual and the judge has quite rightly lifted reporting restrictions so he can be named.
“Throughout interview he has shown no remorse, refused to take responsibility for his actions and lied to both police and a jury about exactly what he did that day.
“He saw no problem with carrying a knife in the street and this incident showed he was not afraid to use it in a confrontation.
“Newcastle has a reputation as one of the safest cities in the country but a knife in the wrong hands can have devastating consequences in just a split second.”
“We will continue to put those who carry knives before the courts and this case shows that anyone who uses one will spend a significant amount of time behind bars
“Now this case has concluded I want to take time to thank all the witnesses who came forward and I also want to praise the family of Frankie Cooper for the courage they have shown throughout this case.”
