Counter terror police investigating after brother of Manchester Arena bomber attacks prison officers
Hashem Abedi was jailed for at least 55 years after helping to plan the 2017 atrocity in which 22 people died.
Saturday 12 April 2025 22:47, UK
Counter terrorism police are leading the investigation into an attack on three prison officers by the brother of the Manchester Arena bomber.
The Prison Officers Association (POA) said 28-year-old Hashem Abedi - the brother of Salman Abedi - threw hot cooking oil over the guards before stabbing them with homemade weapons.
He was sentenced in 2020 to at least 55 years in prison after being found guilty of 22 counts of murder over the 2017 atrocity.
The three officers were taken to hospital after the attack at category A Frankland prison, in County Durham, shortly before 11am on Saturday.
In a statement on Saturday, the POA said they suffered "life-threatening injuries" including burns, scalds and stab wounds. They also said one female officer was discharged at 4pm on Saturday afternoon.
On Sunday, POA national chairman Mark Fairhurst told Sky News' Kamali Melbourne that both officers were still stable, but one has a punctured lung.
"So it looks like it's going to be a long process, the road to recovery," he went on. "But we will fully support them as they go through that process."
Asked how the attack had occurred, he added: "Our intelligence suggests that some sort of improvised knives were made out of possibly a baking tray that was kept on that unit.
"So he's fashioned knives out of that. And once he subdued the staff with the hot oil, he's proceeded to slash and stab them.
"They've got a variety of injuries, including stab wounds, slash wounds and third-degree burns. So a really serious incidents.
"And we came so close to a murder of a prison officer, just because they were carrying out their duties."
He said staff at the prison had been "absolutely traumatised" by the incident, and that his thoughts were with the injured officers and their families.
In a Ministry of Justice spokesperson said on Sunday: "Our thoughts remain with the two prison officers still in hospital as they recover.
"There will be a full review into how this attack was able to happen, alongside the separate police inquiry.
"The government will do whatever it takes to keep our hardworking staff safe."
Counter Terrorism Policing's (CTP) acting senior national coordinator, Commander Dom Murphy, said his officers would lead the investigation "given the nature of the incident".
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said on X: "I am appalled by the attack of three brave officers at HMP Frankland today. My thoughts are with them and their families.
"The police are now investigating. I will be pushing for the strongest possible punishment. Violence against our staff will never be tolerated."
The POA said the attack happened in a separation centre, a small unit sometimes referred to as a "prison within a prison", usually used to house dangerous prisoners and those deemed a risk of radicalising other inmates.
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Mr Fairhurst called for a review of the freedoms granted to those prisoners.
"I am of the opinion that allowing access to cooking facilities and items that can threaten the lives of staff should be removed immediately," he said.
"These prisoners need only receive their basic entitlements and we should concentrate on control and containment instead of attempting to appease them. Things have to change."
General secretary Steve Gillan added: "This is a disgraceful and cowardly attack on prison officers at Frankland prison who were carrying out their duties."
Durham police said on Saturday: "An investigation is under way following a serious assault which occurred at Frankland prison, Durham today.
"Three victims were taken to hospital to be treated where two remain with serious injuries and a third has been discharged."
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Hashem Abedi was previously found guilty, along with two other convicted terrorists, of attacking a prison officer at southeast London's Belmarsh prison in 2020.
The officer was hit with a chair, repeatedly punched and kicked when he was set upon by Hashem Abedi, Parsons Green Tube bomber Ahmed Hassan and Muhammed Saeed, who spoke about carrying out a knife attack in London.
Hashem Abedi was found guilty by a jury of 22 counts of murder, attempted murder and plotting to cause an explosion likely to endanger life over the Manchester Arena bombing.
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The court heard he helped source, buy, stockpile and transport the components for his brother's bomb using a number of phones, vehicles and addresses in preparation for the attack.
Twenty-two people were killed when suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated an explosive as people were leaving an Ariana Grande concert at the venue.
He died in the attack, while hundreds of others were injured.