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Manchester Arena Bomber’s Brother Denies Attempted Murder of Prison Staff in Kitchen Attack

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The younger brother of the Manchester Arena suicide bomber has pleaded not guilty to attempting to murder three prison officers during a violent assault involving makeshift weapons and hot oil at a maximum-security jail.

Hashem Abedi, 28, appeared at the Old Bailey via video link from HMP Belmarsh on Friday, flanked by four security guards in full riot gear, to face charges stemming from an incident at HMP Frankland in County Durham on 12 April this year.

The convicted terrorist, already serving a record-breaking minimum term of 55 years for his role in the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing that killed 22 people, showed no emotion throughout the preliminary hearing as prosecutors detailed allegations that he launched an unprovoked attack on staff during a supervised cooking session.

Religious Chants During Assault

Prosecutor Jocelyn Ledward KC told the court that Abedi shouted “Allahu akbar” twice whilst attacking prison officers Paul Crampton, Gary Speight and Catherine Herbert, as well as assaulting a fourth officer, Craig Thompson.

The Old Bailey heard that Abedi had been housed in a separation unit at the County Durham maximum-security facility when the attack occurred. He was using cooking equipment in the prison kitchen when he turned on the staff supervising him.

“This case concerns an incident on 12 April 2025 at HMP Frankland when Mr Abedi was being detained,” Ledward stated. During the course of a session where he was permitted to use cooking equipment, he attacked and attempted to murder three prison officers using hot oil and makeshift weapons he had constructed himself. He also assaulted a fourth prison officer.”

The prosecutor revealed that bodyworn footage from one of the prison officers and CCTV cameras captured the attack, providing visual evidence of the incident.

Nature of Injuries

Details of the injuries sustained by the officers emerged during Friday’s hearing. Officer Crampton suffered stab wounds and burns, whilst Officer Speight sustained serious stab wounds. Officer Herbert suffered burns from what is believed to be melted butter.

Ledward informed the court that there was no indication Abedi held any previous hostility or grievance towards his alleged victims. She asserted the defendant maintained an extremist mindset, citing his 2020 conviction in connection with the Manchester Arena bombing as evidence.

The prosecution will present witness statements from the three officers facing attempted murder charges, though not from Thompson, the victim of the assault charge. Expert evidence will also be provided relating to the processing of CCTV footage and analysis from a metal expert examining how the weapons were fashioned.

Defiant Defendant Rejects Legal Representation

Abedi, wearing a grey prison tracksuit during the video link appearance, chose to represent himself at the hearing. When asked to confirm his personal details by the court clerk, he responded simply: “Yep.”

The 28-year-old entered not guilty pleas to three counts of attempted murder, one count of causing actual bodily harm and one count of unauthorised possession in prison of a knife or offensive weapon.

Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb questioned Abedi’s decision to proceed without legal counsel, asking: “Do you intend to remain unrepresented?”

Abedi replied: “Yeah, basically I don’t want to attend anyway, that is what it is.”

Judge’s Warning About Representation

The judge delivered a stern warning about the consequences of self-representation, particularly as the case progresses towards trial.

“I hope you have understood what has happened today. The next time we meet will be on 30 January next year. By that time the prosecution will have served their evidence on you,” Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb explained.

She continued: “You are not represented. I am well aware that you understand that. If you decide very late on in the process that you would like to be represented, I cannot guarantee the court will allow you to change the position. I encourage you to think carefully about representation.”

The judge highlighted specific concerns about Abedi’s lack of legal advice, noting: “There may be some discussion about what the jury should know about you and your history. If you had a lawyer, they may well argue what the limits should be as to what the prosecution will put before the jury.”

Trial in Absence Warning

Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb made clear that Abedi’s trial could proceed without him if he refused to attend. “If you fail to attend your trial, then the hearing can proceed in your absence. Do you understand all of these things?” she asked.

Abedi raised concerns about being forced to attend, stating: “You see you said I must attend but in the prison I was told that if I do not attend I would be forced to attend. Like for example today.”

The judge responded firmly: “Well it is a matter for the prison authorities to determine. I am ordering you to attend on the 30th of January in 2026 and I am sure the prison authorities will do what they need to do to ensure that order is complied with.”

When given an opportunity to comment on the prosecution’s reference to his terrorist conviction, Abedi simply replied: “No.”

Manchester Arena Atrocity

Abedi was convicted in 2020 of assisting his elder brother Salman in plotting the suicide attack that killed 22 people, including seven children, at an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena on 22 May 2017.

Salman Abedi detonated a homemade rucksack bomb amongst crowds leaving the concert venue, causing devastation and injuries to hundreds more victims. Hashem Abedi, who was in Libya at the time of the attack, played a crucial role in the preparation and planning stages.

His minimum term of 55 years represented the longest ever imposed on someone under 21 at the time of sentencing, reflecting the severity of his crimes and the catastrophic loss of life caused by the terrorist plot.

Case Timeline

Abedi was remanded in custody at HMP Belmarsh ahead of his trial, which has been scheduled to begin on 18 January 2027 at the Old Bailey. The trial is expected to last between two and three weeks.

He will make his next court appearance on 30 January 2026 for a further hearing, by which point the prosecution will have served their full evidence package.

The case raises questions about security protocols and supervision of high-risk terrorist prisoners in Britain’s maximum-security estate, particularly regarding access to potential weapons or implements that could be fashioned into weapons during routine activities such as cooking.

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