CCTV captures eerie moment prisoners smirk before murdering fellow inmate in 37-second attack

Daily Record

30-05-2025

Footage captured inside HMP Fosse Way captured the moment before and after two inmates brutally killed another inmate in his cell in just 37-seconds.
A prisoner was captured on CCTV smirking just seconds before he battered a fellow inmate to death.
On August 20 last year, Ashirie Smith, 19 and Thierry Robinson, 21, entered Mahir Abdulrahman's cell and savagely attacked him at HMP Fosse Way in Leicestershire, reports the Mirror.
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The 31-year-old victim was discovered unresponsive by a female prison officer with horror injuries and suffered a cardiac arrest at 7.45am.
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Police and East Midlands Ambulance Service were called to the prison but Mahir Abdulrahman was pronounced dead at the scene around an hour later.
A post mortem later revealed he had suffered injuries including swelling to his right cheek and on the left side of his neck. He also suffered deep bruising to his brain and facial tissue.
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The cause of death was determined as a sub arachnoid basal haemorrhage – bleeding to the area of the brain.
CCTV footage from the prison shared by Leicestershire Police captures the moments before and after the callous attack.
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It revealed Mahir Abdulrahman's cell had been unlocked by a prison officer in the morning, who had then continued their rounds.
The footage then revealed Robinson smirking in the corridor outside Smith's cell before emerging topless and entering his cell. Smith and Robinson emerge and calmly walk away from the cell just 37 seconds later, leaving Abdulrahman to die. Smith was then seen to re-enter the cell and exit again shortly after having carried out the violent assault.
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On Thursday, May 29, Smith was sentenced at Leicester Crown Court after being found guilty of the murder of Mahir Abdulrahman, who was also known as Mahir Mohamed, following trial. He was sentenced to life to serve a minimum of 17.5 years.
Robinson was found not guilty of murder but found guilty of the manslaughter of Mahir Abdulrahman following the trial. He was sentenced to 11 years imprisonment. A third defendant Shaan Karim, 38, was found not guilty of murder and not guilty of manslaughter.
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Detective Inspector Mark Parish, from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, said: 'The injuries suffered by Mahir Abdulrahman showed a serious, sustained attack had taken place which ultimately led to his death.
'Thanks to the hard work of the investigation team, Smith and Robinson have been convicted in court and will now have to face responsibility for their actions.'
Serco Prison Director Wyn Jones said: 'Any death in prison is a tragedy but the murder of Mr Abdulrahman was a heinous act. My thoughts remain with his family and those affected by his untimely death. Since the tragedy, our focus has been to bring those responsible to justice by working with the police to secure a conviction. I hope the verdicts will bring closure for his family.'