'Rolf Harris was cowering in the pews': Paedophile entertainer targeted during prison church service sparking mass brawl after inmate spits at him

The 84-year-old was shouted at by another prisoner at HMP Bullingdon

Inmate attempted to spit on Harris but hit another convict sparking fight

Witnesses say it was 'an attack waiting to happen' and Rolf is 'hate figure'

Comes as announcement Harris has applied to appeal against convictions

Found guilty of 12 indecent assaults on June 30 at Southwark Crown Court



The 84-year-old was sentenced to five years and nine months in prison for 12 indecent assaults

Disgraced entertainer Rolf Harris was spat at by an inmate during a prison church service which sparked a mass brawl.



The 84-year-old was targeted by another prisoner who shouted insults from the pews of the chapel at HMP Bullingdon in Oxfordshire.



Witnesses claim an inmate attempted to spit on the convicted paedophile but missed and hit another prisoner.

The incident sparked an attack between the two convicts, who began throwing punches and had to be separated by officers.



A bystander told the Sun: ‘One prisoner called Rolf a dirty nonce and spat at him. All the others were jeering too, but the spit landed on the bloke next to Rolf, who went beserk.



‘Rolf stood in a corner while the other prisoner was taken to a segregation unit. Then he just sat back down. He was shaken up, but didn’t let on.’



The witness also claimed the brawl, which happened at around 9.15am on July 19, was sparked by an inmate who claimed his family had fallen victim to a paedophile in the past.



Another said it was an attack waiting to happen: ‘Rolf is a hate figure for many in prison. Attack him, you’re going to get some notoriety.’



A source confirmed that Harris had ‘was not physically hurt’ in the scuffle while a Prison Service spokesman said: ‘We do not comment on individuals.’



The attack came as it was announced that Harris has applied for permission to appeal against his convictions for a string of indecent assaults.



A spokesman for the Judicial Office confirmed that lawyers had lodged papers at the Court of Appeal this week.

Harris was convicted of 12 indecent assaults on June 30 at Southwark Crown Court - one on an eight-year-old autograph hunter, two on girls in their early teens and a catalogue of abuse of his daughter's friend over 16 years.



The court will now consider whether to grant permission for him to continue with his appeal bid.



Harris, a family favourite for decades, was finally unmasked as a predator who was fixated with under-age girls during his trial, with jurors told how his 16-year campaign of sex abuse against his daughter's friend ‘haunted’ her and made her abandon her dreams as he continued to be adored by millions of fans worldwide.

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New home: HMP Bullingdon in Oxfordshire is where Rolf Harris, 84, has been held for the majority of time so far, and reportedly spent a month creating the didgeridoo during art classes

His fall from grace was underlined as he was stripped of a Bafta fellowship and accolades in his native Australia were removed, and he faces losing his prestigious CBE.



The performer's multi-million pound fortune is also at risk from potential compensation claims.



He was jailed for five years and nine months for the sex abuse, meaning that he is due to serve just under three years for the crimes, which spanned between 1968 and 1986.



Earlier this week the Attorney General's Office confirmed that the sentence would not be referred to the Court of Appeal for being unduly lenient.

