Inmate tried to kill prison officers, court hears

Aklakar Rahman allegedly attacked staff at Belmarsh prison in London and HMP Swaleside in Kent

A "highly dangerous" inmate tried to kill five prison officers with homemade weapons including a sharpened plastic spoon, a court has heard.

Aklakar Rahman, 38, allegedly repeatedly attacked staff at HMP Swaleside in Kent and Belmarsh prison in London in September and October 2022.

On Monday, he went on trial at the Old Bailey charged with 20 offences, including five of attempted murder and six attempted assaults on an emergency worker and possessing sharpened pieces of plastic.

The defendant denies the charges against him.

At the time of the alleged offences, Mr Rahman was serving a life sentence for three earlier attempted murders and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, prosecutor Alistair Richardson said.

He added: "[Mr Rahman] wants to kill prison officers who he sees as 'kuffar', a derogatory term for non-Muslims."

On 23 September 2022, the defendant 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", the court was told.

He was being escorted to a shower when he allegedly punched an officer in the face, shouted "Allahu Akhbar", and stabbed another officer in the forehead with a pen, jurors heard.

He went on to allegedly punch a third officer in the stomach and stamp on another officer's foot, the court heard.

The following day, one of the officers carried out a welfare check and found Mr Rahman standing naked in his cell holding a three-inch piece of sharpened plastic, jurors heard.

During an attempt to retrieve the weapon, the defendant tried to stab another officer in the neck, it was alleged.

Mr Rahman was later moved to Belmarsh prison where he allegedly tried to kill three prison officers on 23 October 2022, the court was told.

The officers had gone to his cell to escort him to get his lunch when the defendant allegedly threw his bin and ran towards one of the officers shouting "death to kuffar" and stabbing at her head and neck with a suspected sharpened plastic spoon.

The defendant also cut two officers' necks amid attempts to restrain him, jurors were told.

In a note, the defendant explained he was angry with the prison and had "lost it" and attacked officers who he felt were mocking him, jurors were told.

In a police interview, Mr Rahman said he did not intend to kill anyone, that he had been trying to provoke the officers and that his mental health was deteriorating.

The court also heard that Mr Rahman suffered from paranoid schizophrenia.

The trial continues.