By Adam Cailler
Copyright dailystar
Manchester Arena bomb plotter Hashem Abedi has refused to appear for a hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court over charges of three counts of attempted murder after four prison officers were injured at a maximum security prison.
Earlier this year, Abedi was charged with three counts of attempted murder after four prison officers were injured at HMP Frankland in Co Durham in April.
The 28-year-old did not appear on a scheduled videolink at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today, forcing an adjournment of the case. He is accused of three counts of attempted murder after four prison officers were injured at HMP Frankland in County Durham on April 12.
The attack was being investigated by Counter Terrorism Policing North East, alongside Durham Constabulary. Abedi had also been charged with one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and one count of unauthorised possession of a knife or offensive weapon.
The Prison Officers’ Association (POA) said officers received life-threatening injuries after Abedi allegedly assaulted them in an “unprovoked” attack on April 12.
They suffered stab wounds and burns after he used makeshift weapons to stab them and also threw hot cooking oil over them, the POA said.
The association’s national chair Mark Fairhurst said in a statement at the time: “First and foremost, my thoughts are with the injured staff, their families and colleagues.
“No officer should be subject to cowardly and vicious attacks at work. The POA will support our members as much as we need during this traumatic time. This attack displays the dangers brave prison officers face on a daily basis.
“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.”
Abedi is thought to have hoarded sachets of butter before melting them down to scald the guards and then stab them after they were ambushed in the kitchen of a separation unit.
One of the officer’s partners said on social media at the time that his family had suffered “the worst day of our lives”. She added: “Thank you to all the people with well wishes of love.”
While source described the disturbing moment Abedi allegedly carried out the attack: “Abedi was completely silent and grinning as he carried out the attack.
“There is no doubt he wanted to kill and it is miraculous they all survived. But he was acting like a silent assassin.”
Abedi was found guilty murdering 22 innocent people at the horrific attack at the Ariana Grande concert along with his sicko brother Salman, who also died, on May 22, 2017. More than a thousand other people were also injured in the devastating incident.
Abedi is next due to appear at the same court on September 25.
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