Two prisoners wearing fake suicide belts stabbed guard in 'terrorist attack', court hears

Two prisoners wore fake suicide belts and shouted "Allahu Akbar" as they attacked a guard with makeshift weapons in a terrorist attack inside one of Britain's maximum security jails, a court has heard.

Brusthom Ziamani, 25, who was serving a sentence for plotting to behead a soldier, and Baz Hockton, 26, who was radicalised in prison, lured "kind and helpful" prison officer, Neil Trundle, to a cupboard in HMP Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire, before repeatedly stabbing him with homemade "shanks".

On the first day of their trial at the Old Bailey, the jury heard how the pair also wore fake suicide belts and had hoped to be martyred in the attack which took place on January 9.

Ziamani was arrested in August 2014 in possession of a hammer and a knife, having told his girlfriend he was planning to murder a soldier.

He was later convicted of the offence and the jury was told that while serving his sentence in HMP Whitemoor - one of the country's maximum security jails  - he plotted to kill a prison officer "an officer of the British state for terrorist purposes".

Prosecutor Annabel Darlow QC, said: "The attack on Prison Officer Trundle was carefully planned and executed using a number of makeshift weapons constructed from the limited materials available to two men being held in prison, including a homemade shank, lumps of twisted metal which had been covered in fabric to form grips, and two makeshift metal stabbing implements."

She said the defendants lured their target to a store cupboard on the pretext of asking him to fetch a spoon.

Mr Trundle was then stabbed in his head, upper chest and neck areas as he tried to defend himself and appealed for help, the jury heard.

Ms Darlow said: "When they carried out the attack they shouted Allahu Akbar - 'Allah is most great'."

A fellow prison officer and a nurse attempted to intervene to protect Mr Trundle, but were also allegedly attacked and injured by Ziamani.

The court heard how Hockton chased and confronted another prison officer, while Ziamani resumed his attack on Mr Trundle.

When another member of prison staff approached Ziamani he 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."

It took six prison officers to eventually restrain Ziamani who was allegedly laughing and muttering "Allahu Akbar".

When asked about the fake suicide belt he allegely told an officer: "I just wish it was real. It's a suicide belt."

The court heard that Hockton had converted to Islam while in HMP Whitemoor, but had been radicalised and "corrupted into extremism".

Notes found in his and Ziamani's cells revealed a desire to become martyrs.

The court heard Mr Trundle suffered cuts to his scalp, arm and shoulder and was left covered in blood.

The defendants deny attempted murder and the trial continues.