A Whanganui Prison inmate who is being charged with assaulting a prison officer is claiming he was only breaking up a fight.
David William Scadden pleaded not guilty to the assault allegations when he appeared in the Whanganui District Court on Thursday.
The police summary of facts said on December 26 last year Scadden was going from cell to cell with a tea trolley and two prison officers.
"An inmate's cell door was unlocked by a prison guard and the inmate exited his cell."
The inmate began assaulting one of the prison officers when Scadden intervened.