Prisoner accused of stabbing guards in suspected terror attack 'held sharia courts in his jail cell'

Brusthom Ziamani had been jailed for planning terror attack on British soldiers in 2015

Suspect Brusthom Ziamani was jailed as a teenager after being arrested in London carrying a knife, a hammer and a black flag in a rucksack (Metropolitan Police/PA)

The prisoner accused of stabbing guards in a suspected terror attack previously held “sharia courts” in his cell and radicalised fellow inmates, it has been claimed.

Brusthom Ziamani, a former member of Anjem Choudary’s al-Muhajiroun (ALM) Islamist network, was jailed for planning a terror attack in 2015.

He and another Muslim convert allegedly attacked prison officers while wearing fake suicide vests at HMP Whitemoor on Thursday, leaving five staff members needing hospital treatment.

He previously served at HMP Woodhill, where a former inmate said he was notorious for trying to convert prisoners to his brand of radical Islam.

“When I arrived in prison I was quickly met by Ziamani and allowed into his inner circle,” the man told The Telegraph.

“He would also hold sharia courts in his prison cell for infractions such as drinking.”

In December, The Times spoke to a prisoner who knew Ziamani at HMP Woodhill in 2016.

He said the terror offender had made himself chair of a “Sharia court” in his cell, and handed out beatings and other punishments for perceived infractions including drinking alcohol or breaking the Ramadan fast.

The man said Ziamani had appointed himself “chief of the Sharia police” and celebrated the terror attacks in Nice and Orlando.

Ziamani, now 24, had been jailed for plotting to behead a British soldier, after being found carrying a hammer and 12-inch knife wrapped in a black flag that has been used by al-Qaeda.

His trial heard that he converted to Islam in 2014 and had become homeless, falling into the hands of ALM members who gave him money, clothes and accommodation.

Ziamani was photographed at ALM demonstrations and posted comments on Facebook claiming that he was “willing to die in the cause of Allah”.

He had researched the location of army cadet bases in London, shown his ex-girlfriend weapons and described fusilier Lee Rigby’s killer as a “legend”.

The second suspect in the attack is another Muslim convert who had been jailed for a violent offence, the BBC reported.

Both HMP Woodhill and HMP Whitemoor also held Usman Khan, who stabbed two people to death at a rehabilitation event in London in November.

A watchdog had warned of divides between Muslim and non-Muslim prisoners at both jails.

HM Inspectorate of prisons has issued several critical reports about HMP Whitemoor, which is a high-security jail in Cambridgeshire.

A 2017 inspection said it held a “disproportionate number of Muslim men” and they felt victimised, while non-Muslims felt they received preferential treatment.

A previous report in 2014 also warned of “tension between the large Muslim population and other prisoners and staff”.

Nick Hardwick, then HM chief inspector of prisons, warned that terrorist prisoners were trying to “influence” other inmates.

“Across all groups of the prison’s population there were some very dangerous men, some of whom tried to influence and pressurise other prisoners,” he wrote. “In some cases this was gang-related. This group included some Muslim prisoners convicted of terrorist offences who were an adverse influence on others.”

Scotland Yard’s counterterror branch is investigating the incident at HMP Whitemoor which came amid heightened concern over terrorist networking and radicalisation inside British prisons.

Police said the “matter is being treated as a terrorist attack” and confirmed that the suspects were wearing fake suicide belts.

The Metropolitan Police said two prisoners approached and attacked a prison officer shortly after 9am on Thursday, striking him in the head and neck with improvised bladed weapons.

Four other prison staff who attempted to help were also injured but all five officers have since been discharged from hospital.

“The incident itself was quickly contained and dealt with by prison staff and from our enquiries thus far, there is nothing to suggest any continuing threat inside or outside of the prison system,” a Scotland Yard spokesperson added.

“Both the prisoners suspected to have been involved in the attack remain in prison. No arrests have been made at this time.”

Fake suicide vests were worn by the perpetrators of attacks in London Bridge in 2017 and at Fishmongers’ Hall in November.

Prison Officers’ Association (POA) general secretary Steve Gillan called for the government and criminal justice system to deal with increased violence against prison staff “in a robust and effective manner”.

“There is no doubt in my mind that but for the bravery of staff, we could have been talking about a death of a prison officer at HMP Whitemoor,” he added.

A Prison Service spokesperson said the incident was “quickly resolved by brave staff”, adding: “We do not tolerate assaults on our hard-working officers and will push for the strongest possible punishment.”