The UK Ministry of Justice has said it will investigate reports that Manchester attack mastermind Hashem Abedi attacked three prison officers using boiling oil and a homemade weapon.
On Saturday, Abedi doused three police officers with hot cooking oil and then stabbed them with a “home-made weapon”, the Prison Officers Association (POA) said.
Staff have suffered life-threatening injuries including burns, scalds and stab wounds in an “unprovoked” and “brutal” attack at HMP Frankland in County Durham, according to the prison union.
The POA's national chairman said on Sunday morning that two officers had suffered “serious stab wounds” but were in hospital in a stable condition.
On Saturday at 4:00 p.m. the female officer was discharged.
Announcing the investigation into the incident, a Justice Department spokesman said: “Our readers' thoughts are with the two prison officers who are still in hospital recovering.
“There will be a full investigation into how this attack could have happened, as well as a separate police investigation.
“The government will do everything possible to ensure the safety of our hard-working employees.”
The investigation into the “serious attack” is being led by Counter Terrorism Police (CTP) NE.
The Prison Service has confirmed that three prison officers have been taken to hospital after an attack by an inmate in Frankland.
On Sunday morning, POA national chairman Mark Fairhurst told the BBC: “My thoughts are first and foremost with the staff affected, their families and of course their colleagues who have had to deal with the aftermath.
“Two are still in hospital with serious injuries, but I am pleased to report that their condition has stabilised.
“They all have burns and scalds, and two of them are in hospital with serious stab wounds.”
On Saturday evening, CTP reported that “the suspect has been detained.”
Abedi was found guilty of aiding the Manchester terror plot in which his suicide bomber brother Salman Abedi killed 22 people by detonating a homemade backpack bomb into a crowd of concert-goers.
CTP Acting Senior National Coordinator, Commander Dom Murphy, said: “Given the nature of the incident, it was decided that CTP North East would lead the investigation, supported by Durham Police.
“This is an ongoing investigation that is at an early stage and we are working hard to establish the facts. Therefore, we are unable to comment further at this time.”
In August 2020, Abedi was sentenced to a record minimum term of 55 years, which he is currently serving in Category A prison HMP Frankland.
Category A is the highest level of security, and Frankland Prison has held other famous prisoners including Michael Adebolajo, gunman Lee Rigby, Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe and Charles Bronson.
There is also a division centre in Frankland.
The aim of these centres, established in 2017, is to monitor prisoners with extremist views, for example by preventing them from disrupting prison order, supporting acts of terrorism or radicalising other prisoners.
Mr Fairhurst said the attack took place at a detention centre where prisoners are allowed to use cooking facilities.
He told the BBC: “Anything that is necessary to allow this type of prisoner to access the kitchen and use utensils that could be used as a weapon against staff and could cause serious harm to them must be removed immediately.
“We are now concerned about the side effects of this incident and its imitation.
“It's very difficult to put someone in an isolation centre because of the procedure that needs to be followed, so the intelligence has to be really good to put someone in an isolation centre.”
He said that “for obvious reasons” the centres are well resourced and staffed, including with people specially trained to work in the separation centres.
A review in 2022 found a total of nine people were being held in isolation centres then operating in Frankland and Woodhill, Buckinghamshire.
The report said Frankland's unit is located in a narrow corridor with a small “social room” and an area where inmates can cook and prepare food.
The report said there were no facilities in the wing and staff could arrange for inmates to visit the main prison gym or go outside the block for training.
The report said the centres were intended for prisoners of any political or religious belief, but by 2022 they were only being used for Muslim men.
Abedi escaped life in prison because he was under 21 when he committed the 2017 Ariana Grande concert massacre.
The previous longest minimum sentence given to a terrorist in the UK is believed to have been 50 years, in the case of David Copeland, who carried out a nail bombing campaign in 1999.
Justice Minister Shabana Mahmood wrote on social media site X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday: “I am appalled by the attack today by three brave officers at HMP Frankland. My thoughts are with them and their families.
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“The police are currently investigating. I will insist on the harshest possible punishment.
“We will never tolerate violence against our employees.”
The Prison Service said: “Violence in prison will not be tolerated and we will always seek the harshest possible punishment for attacks on our hard-working staff.”
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
