HMP Full Sutton inmate guilty of prison officer attack

Feroz Khan and Fuad Awale were found guilty of making threats to kill a prison officer at HMP Full Sutton

An inmate has been found guilty of assaulting a prison officer at HMP Full Sutton in East Yorkshire.

Woolwich Crown Court heard Richard Thompson was attacked amid tension in the prison following soldier Lee Rigby's murder, four days earlier.

Feroz Khan, 26, was cleared of holding Mr Thompson hostage, along with Fuad Awale, 26, and David Watson, 27.

However, Khan was convicted of inflicting grievous bodily harm on the guard after the seven-week trial.

Both Khan and Awale were also found guilty of making threats to kill Mr Thompson.

Prosecutor Sally Howes QC told jurors relations between prison staff and some of the Muslim inmates "became strained" in the days after Fusilier Rigby was murdered.

The court heard that Awale said to Mr Thompson: "I've killed two people. I'll kill you."

'Unprovoked and pre-planned'

During the trial, the jury heard the defendants were alleged to have called for the release of Abu Qatada and Roshonara Choudhry, a student who attempted to stab MP Stephen Timms to death in 2010.

They were also accused of demanding to be flown to Afghanistan, the jury heard.

All three defendants were found not guilty of false imprisonment.

Khan was found guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm on Mr Thompson, but was cleared of assault occasioning actual bodily harm against another officer, Rachel Oxtoby.

Assistant Chief Constable Mark Milsom, from the North East Counter Terrorism Unit, said it was a "terrifying" incident for all involved.

"This attack was unprovoked and pre-planned," he said.

"Thankfully, Khan and Awale were prevented from carrying out their threats in full and prison staff escaped with serious, but not life-threatening, injuries."

Khan and Awale are due to be sentenced on 7 April.