Convicted terrorist on de-radicalisation project tried to murder prison guard

A CONVICTED terrorist was eight months into a year-long jail de-radicalisation programme when he tried to murder a prison guard.

Brusthom Ziamani, 25, was jailed for life after he and Baz Hockton, 26, armed with makeshift weapons and wearing fake suicide vests, attacked prison officer Neil Trundle at maximum security HMP Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire on January 9.

The terror attack is believed to be the first of its kind inside a UK jail, although a homemade IRA bomb was exploded inside Crumlin Road Prison in Belfast in 1991.

The judge, Mrs Justice May said Ziamani must serve a minimum 21 years, while Hockton will serve at least 23 years before he is eligible for parole.

She told Ziamani: “Your adherence to extremist ideology plainly persists, despite the best efforts of the prison psychologist and, no doubt, the prison imam.

“You were eight months into a year-long programme designed to address such beliefs when you committed these offences.

“Your current twisted view of Islam needs to moderate and change.

“It is not possible, at this stage, to determine for how long you will remain a danger.”

Prison de-radicalisation schemes have faced increased scrutiny following terrorist attacks by recently released convicted terrorists.

Saskia Jones, 23, and Jack Merritt, 25, were killed by former Whitemoor inmate Usman

Khan, 28, in November last year.

He launched an attack with two knives and wearing a fake suicide vest during a prisoner rehabilitation programme near London Bridge.

Khan, who had been released almost a year earlier, halfway through a 16-year jail sentence for terror offences, is said to have taken part in both of the prison system’s de-radicalisation schemes – the health identity intervention and desistance and disengagement programme.