A PRISONER denies threats to kill governors, claiming he was shouting at a terrorist in a nearby cell.

Thomas O'Rourke denies three threats to kill, one against governing governor Claire Pearson and two against duty governor Maria Compton at the segregation unit in HMP Long Lartin in South Littleton, near Evesham.

The 42-year-old is alleged to have made the threats against the governing governor on March 2 and the duty governor on March 31 and April 1 last year.

Body cam footage from prison officer Tony Burke was played to Worcester Crown Court today showing what he said were threats against Mrs Compton. O'Rourke is heard to say: "I'm going to stab you to death. I'm warning you, I'm absolutely going to behead you."

But O'Rourke, representing himself, said he was 'arguing with a couple of terrorists' in other cells and the comments had 'never in a million years' been directed at Maria Compton.

Mr O'Rourke said: "I don't like terrorists. They run our prisons."

He also asked Mr Burke where the rest of the body cam footage was. But the prison officer said he had only switched it on towards the end of the exchange. O'Rourke claimed Maria Compton had been 'smiling' at him and he had told her to 'stop playing games'. Mr Burke said Mrs Compton had faced a 'torrent of abuse' from O'Rourke and he had 'an unhealthy obsession' with Mrs Compton and number one governor, Claire Pearson.

Mark Noah, a supervising officer, also appeared as a witness. He said he heard O'Rourke say 'when I get out of here I'm going to kill you' to governing governor Claire Pearson as she was performing welfare checks, leaving her 'visibly shocked'. He told the jury he believed this was 'a genuine threat' rather than something said 'in the heat of the moment'.

O'Rourke claims there is a conspiracy involving Mrs Pearson and Mrs Compton to move him to different prisons, including Belmarsh and Manchester, and this happened every time he came up for a parole hearing. The prosecution say O'Rourke left threatening graffiti in his cell.

O'Rourke denies being responsible for the graffiti.

The trial continues.