MANCHESTER Arena bomb plotter Hashem Abedi has refused to appear in court after being charged with attempting to murder prison officers at a maximum security jail.
The 28-year-old did not appear on a scheduled videolink at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, forcing an adjournment of the case.
PAHashem Abedi has refused to appear in court after being charged with attempting to murder prison officers at a maximum security jail[/caption]
PAA total of four prison officers were injured at HMP Frankland[/caption]
He is accused of three counts of attempted murder after four prison officers were injured at HMP Frankland in County Durham on April 12.
Abedi also faces one charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and one count of unauthorised possession of a knife or offensive weapon.
Three prison officers were taken to hospital with serious injuries after they were allegedly attacked with hot oil and makeshift weapons in an ambush.
Abedi is next due to appear at the same court on September 25.
Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring told the court he would ensure the defendant attends the next hearing, adding: “I will order that he is physically produced, but if that is not possible, it will be a prison videolink.”
At the time of the incident, the Prison Officers Association said the staff sustained life-threatening injuries including burns, scalds and stab wounds in an “unprovoked” and “vicious” attack.
In a statement issued at the time, Counter Terrorism Policing North East (CTPNE) said a lag threw hot oil over prison officers before using an “improvised blade” to assault staff.
CTPNE said it had carried out a “thorough investigation” of the incident with Durham Constabulary and HMP Frankland.
Abedi was convicted of assisting with the Manchester terror plot, in which his brother, suicide bomber Salman Abedi, killed 22 people by detonating a homemade rucksack-bomb in a crowd of concert-goers at the end of an Ariana Grande concert.
He was jailed for life with a record-breaking 55-year minimum term in August 2020.
Last month, The Sun revealed that Abedi had won back prison privileges as a reward for “good behaviour” — including a TV package.
He had his regime raised from “basic” to “standard”.
The thug will also have more cash for phone credit and can use the gym again.
Abedi was moved to Belmarsh and has been barred from contacting under-18s amid fears he could try to radicalise teens from jail.
In May this year, The Sun also revealed Abedi had been granted more than £1,200 in taxpayers’ cash to launch an equal rights case in jail.
The sum went to his lawyers for a complaint of religious discrimination.
It has been added to a huge legal aid bill to fund his trial defence — even though he refused to take part in the court process.
Figures disclosed under a Freedom of Information request show the total now stands at £354,015.
Abedi stabbed and scalded three prison officers in April Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
