Three convicted terrorists, including Hashem Abedi, the brother of the Manchester Arena bomber, have been found guilty at Woolwich Crown Court of attacking a prison officer in Belmarsh’s high security unit.
Mr Edwards, a custodian manager, said he feared for his life when he was allegedly hit with a chair and repeatedly punched and kicked in his office on May 11, 2020.
Abedi, Ahmed Hassan, 22, and Muhammed Saeed, 23, deny the charges but declined to give evidence after the prosecution closed its case last week.
Abedi, who was defending himself, delivered a closing speech to Woolwich Crown Court on Monday.
He said he was ‘not here to complain’ but the court had not heard ‘what was going on’ in the prison before May 11.
He said: ‘I don’t think we get treated like other prisoners.’
CCTV played to the jury shows Abedi and Hassan, with a black and white hat and dark clothing, being escorted to the prison exercise yard.
They returned about half an hour later with Saeed, who has long hair tied in a ponytail.
Abedi, wearing an Adidas tracksuit, white cap and glasses, is seen smiling before the three defendants run towards Mr Edwards’ office, closely followed by prison officers.
It came as the 24-year-old told Woolwich Crown Court he ‘was not here to complain’ over conditions inside HMP Belmarsh in London. Pictured: Three defendants smiling to each other before the alleged attack
Injuries on prison officer Paul Edwards who was attacked at HMP Belmarsh on May 11 2020.
Blood on a desk at the scene of the incident in which prison officer Paul Edwards was attacked
The office chair used in an attack on prison officer Paul Edwards at HMP Belmarsh in 2020
It comes after he told prison governor Angela Gissing ‘he and his brothers wanted the regime changed’.
He complained ‘non-Muslim prisoners’ – also on ‘basic’ status incentive and earned privileges (IEP) – are treated differently, the court was told.
In her closing speech, prosecutor Sasha Wass QC said on Monday: ‘The defendants had no other reason to visit Mr Edwards’ office other than to assault him.
‘They went in there with the expressed intention of beating him up and that is what they did.’
Abedi admitted his guilt at Westminster Magistrates’ Court – despite pleading not guilty – because he said he ‘did assault that filthy pig but I don’t see any harm in doing that’, Ms Wass argued.
She added: ‘Mr Edwards is not a filthy pig. He is a prison officer who has worked for the prison service for most of his adult life.’
She also told the court Abedi was the ‘ringleader’ in the plan to ‘savagely attack’ the prison officer.
Woolwich Crown Court previously heard Mr Edwards, who had worked at Belmarsh for 25 years, was responsible for removing privileges from Abedi and Hassan after they shaved their heads.
Abedi, 24, Hassan, 21, and a third defendant, 23-year-old Muhammed Saeed (pictured left to right) are on trial
Benjamin Squirrell, representing Hassan, and Sebastian Winnett, representing Saeed, both argued in closing speeches evidence of the actual attack only comes from witnesses, which is not ‘neutral’, and the prosecution case is ‘insufficient’.
Mr Edwards said he believed Abedi to be the ‘amir’ or ‘leader’, who had orchestrated complaints about the regime inside the high security unit, known as a ‘prison within a prison’.
All three defendants were charged with assault causing actual bodily harm to Mr Edwards.
Abedi is also charged with assault by beating of an emergency worker – a second prison officer Nick Barnett – who was allegedly kicked.
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