An Islamic extremist has been convicted of trying to murder a prison guard while serving a 22 year sentence for plotting to behead a British soldier in a Lee Rigby-style terror attack.
Convicted terrorist Brusthom Ziamani, 25, and fellow inmate Baz Hockton, 26, have been convicted at the Old Bailey of attempting to murder a prison officer in an Islamic terrorist attack at top security Whitemoor jail in Cambridgeshire on January 9.
The inmates lured Prison Officer (PO) Neil Trundle towards a cupboard before attacking him while wearing hoax suicide vests at HMP Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire.
Ziamani charged at staff, revealing his fake bomb vest to them when they intervened to help their colleague, the Old Bailey heard.
Convicted terrorist Brusthom Ziamani (right), 25, and fellow inmate Baz Hockton (left), 26, have been convicted at the Old Bailey of attempting to murder a prison officer in an Islamic terrorist attack at top security Whitemoor jail in Cambridgeshire on January 9
He also assaulted female prison officer Georgina Ibbotson and nurse Jane Cowles when they intervened to help their colleague, jurors heard.
Both vests were created using elastic from a pair of underwear, bottles, batteries and pressurised cans, the court was told.
Both inmates were found to have been hoarding writings on Islamic extremist ideology after the brutal violence, it was said.
The pair allegedly used lumps of twisted metal, makeshift stabbing instruments and a homemade shank in a carefully planned ‘terrorist’ attack.
Ziamani, who was convicted of plotting to behead a British Army officer in 2015, wanted to murder ‘agents of the British state,’ jurors heard today.
The aftermath of the alleged attack showed Mr Trundle on the floor nursing serious head wounds as staff gathered around him
The extremist believed that in doing so he would achieve ‘holy jihad’ and kept texts in his cell which vilified non-believers, it was said.
CCTV footage shown during the trial showed Ziamani and Hockton following PO Trundle as he walked towards the store cupboard on January 9. Suddenly the pair appear to jump on Mr Trundle, pushing him further into the store room.
The alarm was sounded in the prison and PO Georgina Ibbotson was one of the first on the scene. She said she tried to calm Ziamani but he punched her in the face so hard she sank to her knees and thought she was dying.
As she looked over her left shoulder she saw nurse Jayne Cowles laying on her side dazed and confused.
Giving evidence, Mr Trundle said he had never had any problems with Ziamani before. He said: ‘There had been no confrontation or cross words, no indication that there was going to be any issues between us’
PO Ibbotson managed to stagger to her feet and felt the blood dripping down her skin as she hid inside a storeroom cupboard.
Appearing in the witness box at the Old Bailey on Wednesday, she said: ‘I saw two men standing in front of me, Mr Ziamani and Mr Hockton both holding weapons.
‘I could see they had something in their hands and they holding it in clenched fists.
‘They were really hyped up and full of adrenaline and really intimidating definitely. I put my hands out and just said ‘woah’.
‘Mr Ziamani took a step forward, so I put my hands on my belt to rack my baton.’
Both suspects were pinned down by officers after an emergency alarm was sounded in the building following the attack
‘Mr Ziamani punched me in the face as hard as he could. It was really like a big shock.
‘I fell to my knees. After I got assaulted and stood up, when I looked over my left shoulder nurse (Jayne) Cowles was on the floor laying on her side looking shocked.
‘I went to the back of the store cupboard. I could feel the blood dripping down my face. I did not know how bad the injuries were and I was fearing for my life.’
Ms Ibbotson said she never had any trouble with Ziamani before, adding that he spent a lot of time with Hockton ‘one to one’.
Mr Trundle was left covered in blood from multiple cuts after Ziamani asked him if he could replace a broken spoon.
Jurors were shown CCTV footage of the incident, which was briefly interrupted when two female staff members attempted to intervene and were assaulted by Ziamani. Pictured, Whitemoor high-security prison in Cambridgeshire
The prison officer went to unlock a store cupboard, followed by the defendants.
Giving evidence, Mr Trundle said he had never had any problems with Ziamani before.
He said: ‘There had been no confrontation or cross words, no indication that there was going to be any issues between us.
As he approached the store cupboard he could see one of the men ‘in my peripheral view’.
He added: ‘Before I knew it I was on the floor on my back. I wasn’t sure how I ended up on the floor. I did not know what position I was in but I was on the floor and I was being attacked.’
Mr Trundle, who has been a prison officer for more than 14 years, said he raised his arms to protect his face and called for help.
‘I felt pressure on my body as if people were lying on my body. I could feel stabs, especially to my head at this precise moment. I could still feel little bits of stinging.
‘I did not know who was on me or how many was on me but I did notice when that person or persons left. I noticed when they came back again and attacked me a second time.
‘I did not see any weapons. I could feel blows coming down on me.
‘During the attack I was laying on my back and I was trying to kick out. The kicking out made it more difficult for them.’
He added: ‘I did not realise how bad the damage was to myself until I went to the hospital and looked in the mirror.’
Jurors were shown CCTV footage of the incident, which was briefly interrupted when two female staff members attempted to intervene and were assaulted by Ziamani.
Earlier on January 9, Ms Ibbotson said Ziamani had also asked her to fetch a spoon from the store cupboard which gave her a ‘gut feeling’.
She said: ‘It just made me feel uncomfortable – it made me feel like it was something I did not want to do.’
Ziamani told staff he had a bomb when they intervened to help their colleague, the Old Bailey heard.
Both inmates were found to have been hoarding writings on Islamic extremist ideology after the brutal violence, it was said.
Ziamani was carrying a four-page handwritten letter detailing his fanatical beliefs, the court heard.
The pair allegedly used lumps of twisted metal, makeshift stabbing instruments and a homemade shank in a ‘carefully planned’ attack.
Ziamani was serving a sentence for plotting to murder a British Army officer at the time of the attack, the court heard.