Latest news with #prisonattack
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Prison officer stabbed at HMP Long Lartin 'with knife brought in from outside jail'
A prison officer who received emergency treatment after being attacked at a high security jail was stabbed with a weapon from outside of prison, Sky News understands. The 25-year-old officer was after allegedly being attacked by an inmate who used a knife that wasn't made inside the jail, which is otherwise known as an "improvised" weapon. It is not known how the weapon was brought into the prison. However a recent inspection of HMP Long Lartin in Worcestershire described the "incursion of drones" as "an increasingly critical problem" for the jail, and a "threat" that was "unsettling" for staff. The officer is in a stable condition following the attack on Friday morning but underwent emergency surgery, after sustaining what West Mercia Police described as serious injuries. A 22-year-old suspect is being held in custody within the prison. West Mercia Police Assistant Chief Constable Grant Wills said on Friday that the incident was not being treated as terrorism. He added: "Our initial enquiries suggest there was a disagreement between an inmate and prison officer that escalated and is an isolated matter within the prison." This was the third attack at a Category A, high security jail, in less than two months. In April, the Manchester Arena bomb plotter Hashem Abedi and a homemade weapon while in a separation centre, which are used to house extremist and violent offenders. At HMP Belmarsh, Southport killer of throwing boiling hot water over an officer through the hatch in his cell door earlier this month. Read more from Sky News: There were 10,605 assaults on staff in the year to December 2024, a 15% increase on the year before, marking a record high. The government says the safety of frontline staff is a top priority and has commissioned a series of reviews to consider increased protection for officers, including stab-proof vests and the use of Tasers in certain situations. The independent reviewer of terrorism, Jonathan Hall KC, has also been appointed to carry out a review of the alleged Abedi attack at HMP Frankland, to consider whether separation centres are fit for purpose. A Prison Service spokesperson said: "Police are investigating an attack on a prison officer at HMP Long Lartin. "We will not tolerate assaults on hardworking staff and will always push for the strongest punishments against perpetrators."
Sky News
3 days ago
- General
- Sky News
Prison officer stabbed at HMP Long Lartin 'with knife brought in from outside jail'
A prison officer who received emergency treatment after being attacked at a high security jail was stabbed with a weapon from outside of prison, Sky News understands. The 25-year-old officer was airlifted to hospital after allegedly being attacked by an inmate who used a knife that wasn't made inside the jail, which is otherwise known as an "improvised" weapon. It is not known how the weapon was brought into the prison. However a recent inspection of HMP Long Lartin in Worcestershire described the "incursion of drones" as "an increasingly critical problem" for the jail, and a "threat" that was "unsettling" for staff. The officer is in a stable condition following the attack on Friday morning but underwent emergency surgery, after sustaining what West Mercia Police described as serious injuries. A 22-year-old suspect is being held in custody within the prison. West Mercia Police Assistant Chief Constable Grant Wills said on Friday that the incident was not being treated as terrorism. He added: "Our initial enquiries suggest there was a disagreement between an inmate and prison officer that escalated and is an isolated matter within the prison." This was the third attack at a Category A, high security jail, in less than two months. In April, the Manchester Arena bomb plotter Hashem Abedi allegedly assaulted prison officers using hot cooking oil and a homemade weapon while in a separation centre, which are used to house extremist and violent offenders. At HMP Belmarsh, Southport killer Axel Rudakubana has been accused of throwing boiling hot water over an officer through the hatch in his cell door earlier this month. There were 10,605 assaults on staff in the year to December 2024, a 15% increase on the year before, marking a record high. The government says the safety of frontline staff is a top priority and has commissioned a series of reviews to consider increased protection for officers, including stab-proof vests and the use of Tasers in certain situations. The independent reviewer of terrorism, Jonathan Hall KC, has also been appointed to carry out a review of the alleged Abedi attack at HMP Frankland, to consider whether separation centres are fit for purpose. A Prison Service spokesperson said: "Police are investigating an attack on a prison officer at HMP Long Lartin.
BBC News
4 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Two attacks on Whitemoor prison staff prompts police inquiry
Two members of prison staff are receiving hospital treatment after being happened at the high-security HMP Whitemoor in March, Cambridgeshire, on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) are investigating what happened, with the MOJ condemning the attacks as "unacceptable"."We will not tolerate assaults on hard-working prison officers and will always push for the strongest punishments against perpetrators," the ministry said. It confirmed a member of staff was injured on Tuesday and a prison officer was hurt in a separate attack the following day. Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Telegraph
4 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
Manchester terrorist was granted taxpayer money in religious discrimination claim
The Manchester Arena terrorist who seriously injured three prison officers in a knife attack was granted £1,200 in taxpayers' money for legal aid to pursue a complaint of religious discrimination. Hashem Abedi's lawyers were granted the money to fight the complaint, which he lodged from his high-security prison cell. It was rejected by the Ministry of Justice, and he did not pursue it any further. It came on top of the legal aid his lawyers got to fight his trial defence, even though he refused to take part in the court process. Figures disclosed under freedom of information laws showed the funds paid to his legal team now stand at £354,015. The alleged religious discrimination happened before Abedi, serving a life sentence for his part in 22 murders in the Manchester Arena attack, used two home-made knives and hot cooking oil to assault three prison officers at high-security HMP Frankland, in County Durham. He was being held in a separation unit for Islamist prisoners when he mounted the attack, and has since been moved to HMP Belmarsh, in south London. It is understood the case concerned a claim lodged on March 28 last year regarding searches of religious headwear. He was jailed in 2020 for a minimum of 55 years for helping his suicide bomber brother Salman kill 22 Ariana Grande fans in 2017. In 2022, he was given another three years and 10 months for attacking two officers at Belmarsh Prison. Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, said: 'This is just another outrageous example of taxpayers' money being wasted on a convicted mass killer.' A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: 'Hashem Abedi never received a penny of taxpayers' money – legal aid went directly to lawyers. We resisted his legal claim, and he did not pursue it further.' MoJ sources said the £1,256 civil legal aid was paid directly to legal representatives, not to Abedi himself. The MoJ strongly denied liability, and no damages or additional legal costs were paid by it. Officials said the Legal Aid Agency operates independently from ministers when making decisions on individual applications for funding. Civil legal aid is subject to a merits test and a strict means test based on eligibility criteria set out in legislation.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Prison officer attacked with boiling hot water in high security jail in latest outrage blighting prison safety
A prison officer has been attacked with boiling hot water in a high security jail in the latest outrage blighting prison safety. The officer was scalded with liquid straight from a kettle after he entered an inmate's cell at HMP Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire. Another was left with a broken jaw and bleeding on the brain following an assault in a workshop in a second violent attack just this week at the prison, which houses some of the country's worst criminals, The Telegraph reports. The attacks follow a string of other assaults involving prisoners in recent weeks, including Manchester Arena terrorist Hashem Abedi. Just last month it was revealed convicted murderer John Mansfield was killed after having a weight smashed on his head during a brutal attack at the high security prison. The shocking security breach took place a day after Abedi attacked three prison officers with hot oil inside a separation unit at HMP Frankland, Co Durham. And just weeks ago a 'specialist' prison offer had their throat slashed by an inmate using an improvised weapon at HMP Woodhill. It comes amid warnings from experts that there has been a 'collapse in security' in the jails housing Britain's most dangerous criminals. The Prison Service is currently conducting a 'snap review' into the use of protective body armour for prison officers, while the use of tasers is being trialled in jails. Reacting to attacks earlier this month, Prison Officers' Association General Secretary Steve Gillan said: 'Escalating levels of violence are out of control in the prison service in England and Wales. 'It appears that HMPPS have learned nothing. They continue to ignore the calls from our members on the front line for urgent action to protect Prison Officers from violence. 'It is clear Prison regimes must be reviewed as a matter of urgency. We need action to protect Prison Officers before there is a fatality.'w HMP Whitemoor is a men's Categoiry A Prison first opened in 1991 which holds 500 of the country's most dangerous lags. It includes vocational training courses in construction and craft, with worships including a laundry and recycling. A prison service spokesman told The Telegraph: 'Police are investigating two unacceptable attacks on members of staff at HMP Whitemoor. 'We will not tolerate assaults on hardworking prison officers and will always push for the strongest punishments against perpetrato
