The terrorist brother of the Manchester Arena bomber is alleged to have seriously injured three prison officers in a knife attack at a high-security prison.
Hashem Abedi – who is serving at least 55 years for the murders of 22 people in the May 2017 atrocity – threw hot cooking oil over three officers at HMP Frankland in an attack on Saturday, according to the Prison Officers’ Association (POA).
He then produced home made weapons and proceeded to stab the officers, who suffered life-threatening injuries, the union said.
The alleged attack took place in a separation unit at the Category A prison in County Durham.
Describing the attack as “cowardly and vicious”, the POA’s national chair Mark Fairhurst said it displayed “the dangers brave prison officers face on a daily basis”.
He added: “Separation Centres hold the most dangerous terrorist offenders who simply do not wish to alter their ideology and as this event confirms, are determined to inflict violence on those who hold them securely.
“We must now review the freedoms we allow separation centre prisoners have. I am of the opinion that allowing access to cooking facilities and items that can threaten the lives of staff should be removed immediately.
“These prisoners need only receive their basic entitlements and we should concentrate on control and containment instead of attempting to appease them. Things have to change.”
The Ministry of Justice has been approached for more information.
Abedi is serving 24 life sentences after being found guilty of 22 counts of murder, attempted murder and plotting to cause an explosion likely to endanger life over the Manchester Arena attack, which he conspired to carry out with his older brother Salman Abedi.
He was further convicted in 2022 of attacking a 57-year-old prison officer in the high-security unit at HMP Belmarsh
Paul Edwards said he thought he would be killed when he was set upon by Abedi, along with Parsons Green Tube bomber Ahmed Hassan and Muhammed Saeed, who spoke about carrying out a knife attack in London.
Abedi was suspected of being the “amir” or “leader” of a group of Islamist terrorist inmates inside Belmarsh’s “prison within a prison,” Woolwich Crown Court heard during the trial.
More follows…
