Inmate who tried to kill prison staff sentenced
An "extremely dangerous" inmate who carried out a string of attacks on prison officers with self-made plastic weapons has been sentenced.
Aklakar Rahman, 38, repeatedly attacked staff at HMS Swaleside in Kent and high-security Belmarsh jail, south-east London, in September and October 2022, the Old Bailey heard.
The court heard Rahman, who has schizophrenia, said he had been directed by voices to carry out the attacks.
On Friday, Mrs Justice McGowan handed him a hospital order without limit of time, telling Rahman that psychiatrists say "you are mentally unwell and need to be treated".
The court heard on 23 September 2022, Rahman was detained in the high-security segregation unit at HMP Swaleside over concerns he was trying to "radicalise other inmates to extreme versions of Islam".
While he was escorted to a shower, he punched one officer and stabbed another in the forehead with a pen.
He then punched a third officer in the stomach and stamped on the foot of a fourth after they went to assist their colleagues.
During an attempt to retrieve a self-made weapon, Rahman tried to stab an officer in the neck, jurors had heard.
After he was moved to Belmarsh prison, he attempted to kill three prison officers on 23 October 2022.
He stabbed one of them in the head and neck, and cut two more officers' necks while they were trying to restrain him, the court heard.
When ordered to open his hand, Rahman was seen holding the bottom of a plastic spoon that had been sharpened, the court heard.
In January, a jury found him guilty of four counts of attempted murder.
Rahman also admitted a charge of attempted wounding, six attempted assaults on emergency workers and three charges of possessing sharpened pieces of plastic in prison.
The judge said: "Rahman is an extremely dangerous offender who has demonstrated a willingness to use unlawful drugs, notwithstanding his clear knowledge that such abuse makes him likely to assault prison officers in particular and other persons."
The court heard his attacks were "planned" and he found a piece of plastic, which he spent "considerable time" sharpening into a weapon to "inflict serious injury".
At the time of the offences in 2022, Rahman was serving a life sentence for three earlier attempted murders and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, jurors heard.
In the summer of 2017, he attacked one inmate and two officers at HMP Wayland in Norfolk, HMP Lincoln and HMP Wakefield, using improvised weapons to stab at his victims' heads and necks.
Rahman had originally been jailed two years previously, in November 2015, and ordered to serve six years and four months for drug offences.
He had pleaded guilty at Ipswich Crown Court to two charges of possessing class A drugs heroin and cocaine with intent to supply and one charge of being concerned in the supply of heroin.
His condition is currently stable and he is taking his medication.
Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.
HM Courts & Tribunals Service

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New York Post
29 minutes ago
- New York Post
Ex-CIA analyst who admitted leaking docs about Israel strike on Iran gets 37 months in prison
An ex-CIA analyst was sentenced to more than three years in prison Wednesday for leaking top-secret documents about Israel's plans to retaliate against Iran last year. Asif William Rahman, 34, had pleaded guilty in January to two counts of willful retention and transmission of classified information after he was arrested for absconding with records from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency last October that indicated Israel was planning to launch airstrikes in response to a massive Iranian missile attack. Rahman, who had been a CIA employee since 2016 and had access to top secret documents, leaked the stolen information on social media platforms — forcing Israel to delay its attack. Advertisement He was sentenced to three years and one month in federal prison by US District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles, which is less than the government had demanded. 3 Rahman was sentenced to more than three years in federal prison. AP 'Asif Rahman violated his position of trust by illegally accessing, removing, and transmitting Top Secret documents vital to the national security of the United States and its allies,' US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Erik Siebert said in a statement. Advertisement 'The urgency with which Mr. Rahman was identified, arrested, charged, and prosecuted is a testament to the commitment and professionalism of the investigators and prosecutors who brought him to justice. 'This case should serve as a stern warning to those who choose to place their own goals over their allegiance to our nation.' Rahman was working in the US Embassy in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Oct. 17, 2024, when he sneaked the documents out in his backpack, brought them to his home, photographed them and then transmitted them to other individuals, before destroying evidence of his actions, according to the Justice Department. The top-secret documents appeared on the 'Middle East Spectator' Telegram channel the following day and 'appeared publicly on multiple social media platforms, complete with the classification ranking,' prosecutors said. Advertisement The documents laid out intelligence gathered from satellite images of an Israeli base taken on Oct. 15 and 16. The breach forced Israeli officials to postpone their attack until Oct. 26. 3 The ex-CIA employee pleaded guilty in January to leaking classified information. NurPhoto via Getty Images 3 Rahman leaked documents related to Israel's plans to launch airstrikes against Iran. WAEL HAMZEH/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Advertisement Rahman 'repeatedly accessed and printed classified National Defense Information' up until his arrest in November of 2024, according to the DOJ. In the spring of 2024, when he was working in Virginia as a CIA analyst, he disclosed a batch of five secret and top-secret documents, making copies and giving them to people who weren't allowed to see them. And in the fall of 2024, he leaked another 10 classified documents. 'I fully accept responsibility for my conduct last year,' Rahman said in court Wednesday, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. 'There was no excuse for my actions.' Rahman's attorneys blamed his actions on 'family-related grief' and traumatic assignment in Iraq, compounded by Israel's war against Hamas.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
NC, SC attorneys general among those urging Meta to crack down on deceptive ‘pump and dump' Facebook ads
RALEIGH, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson is among 42 across the country urging Meta to crack down on deceptive ads. The joint letter claims the social media giant is allowing these so-called 'pump and dump' schemes on Facebook, conning users out of hundreds of millions of dollars. 'Scammers are using fake Facebook ads to trick people into losing millions in scam investments,' said Jackson in a statement. 'It's Meta's job to take these ads down and make sure their platform is as safe as possible for users everywhere. Meta needs to act now.' Consultant behind AI-generated robocalls mimicking Biden goes on trial in New Hampshire Jackson's office says these ads frequently use images of well-known financial figures like Warren Buffet, Cathie Wood and Elon Musk to make users think they're legitimate. They'll advertise stocks with outrageous returns, free consultations, or offer to give investment advice. The AGs claim that clicking on the ads directs users to join a WhatsApp group, where the scammers allegedly urge victims to buy penny stocks to rapidly inflate the share prices. After 'pumping up' the price of the stock, the scammers will 'dump' their shares, causing the prices to fall and leaving victims unable to get their money back. South Carolina AG Alan Wilson is among the co-signers. The letter cites several examples of victims, including a 65-year-old woman who lost her 401(k) to this scheme after clicking on a Facebook ad for what seemed to be a reputable investment management company. And three victims in South Florida spoke to a news outlet reporting direct losses of more than $85,000 and pointing to two-dozen other victims who lost millions more. The attorneys general are asking Meta to either strengthen its advertisement review practices to prevent these ads from being shown to Facebook users or remove all investment ads from the platform. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Arrest made in 2017 Jacksonville cold case, family thanks social media posts
Eight years after a woman was found dead behind a local church, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office says her alleged killer is behind bars in the Duval County jail. JSO spotlighted the arrest this week, which brings the case closer to an end. Officials say 39-year-old Rose Greene was found dead on Soutel Drive behind Master's Touch Ministry in June 2017. Percy Johnson, a local registered sex offender with sexual offenses dating back 30 years, was officially charged with Greene's murder in November 2024. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Greene's daughter, Catherine, said she searched for answers for years, even reaching out to a local Jacksonville social media influencer to spread the news about her mother's cold case. 'We didn't know who did it, so God put it in my heart to just reach out to Chelle,' Catherine said. Chelle Gman is a Jacksonville native who uses her Facebook page to highlight unsolved cases in the community. Catherine and Gman believe the local influencer's Facebook reach of over 25,000 followers may have lead to the arrest. 'A little information here… a piece there… can put together a whole puzzle and you never know who knows what until you ask,' Gman said. While Catherine says she has some closure knowing that someone is finally being held responsible, she says Johnson should have never been on the streets. Action News Jax found records dating back to 1996 of Johnson's arrests in St. Johns and Duval counties. The records show charges of sexual battery, kidnapping, and other similar offenses between 1996 and 2022. Jacksonville Sheriff's Office officials say they are working with the State Attorney's Office in this case. Johnson is pleading not guilty. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]