HMP Whitemoor inmates 'wore fake suicide belts in officer attack'

Two prisoners wore fake suicide belts as they tried to kill a prison officer in a terrorist attack at a maximum security jail, a jury has heard.

Terror convict Brusthom Ziamani, 25, and radicalised Baz Hockton, 26, attacked Neil Trundle at HMP Whitemoor, Cambridgeshire, the Old Bailey heard.

Prosecutors said the pair launched the "carefully planned" attack using makeshift weapons "painstakingly constructed" from limited materials.

Both men deny attempted murder.

Annabel Darlow QC told jurors the men wore imitation suicide belts and shouted "Allahu Akbar" - God is greatest - during the attack on 9 January.

When another officer approached to intervene, Ziamani opened up his jacket to expose the fake suicide belt, and said: "I've got a bomb," jurors were told.

Ms Darlow said: "Both men strenuously and forcefully resisted all efforts to restrain them and after the attack Mr Ziamani attempted to barricade himself into his cell.

"It is the prosecution case that the defendants were motivated to commit the attack by extremist Islamic ideology. It was a terrorist attack," she said.

Ms Darlow said items used in the attack on Mr Trundle included a "shank" - an improvised stabbing implement - formed from "lumps of twisted metal" covered in fabric.

She said the defendants had planned to lure their target to a store cupboard "on the pretext of asking a prison officer to fetch a spoon".

A nurse and prison officer who attempted to intervene were both attacked and injured by Mr Ziamani, the court was told.

Extremist writings were recovered from both men, including a four-page letter handwritten by Ziamani spelling out his "expectation of immediate martyrdom" and "strong belief in violent jihad", jurors heard.

The prosecutor said Hockton had registered his Islamic faith at HMP Whitemoor but that had been "corrupted into extremism".

Material was recovered his cell which set out his desire to become a martyr, the court was told.

Jurors were told that told that an alternative count of inflicting wounding with intent in relation to Prison Officer Trundle is available for Mr Ziamani.

The alternative charge need only be considered if the jury acquit him of attempted murder.

Mr Hockton has already pleaded guilty to that alternative offence, thereby accepting that he intended to cause really serious harm to Mr Trundle, but not accepting that he intended to kill him.

Mr Ziamani has pleaded guilty to assaulting the female prison officer and the nurse, the court was told.

The trial continues.