Latest news with #Belmarsh
Daily Mail
14-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Southport killer Axel Rudakubana makes further threat to prison staff - after boiled kettle attack on guard
Southport killer Axel Rudakubana has made further threats against prison guards after dousing one with scalding water from a kettle, it was claimed today. The 18-year-old is reportedly only allowed to leave his cell when accompanied by five officers in riot gear as part of an 'incredibly rare' arrangement. He is also said to have been banned from all IT and computer systems or use the prison intranet to order from the canteen or carry out education courses. The triple murderer, who was sentenced to 52 years for the murders of Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, is under investigation for allegedly attacking a prison officer on May 8. He was said to have thrown hot water at a guard before being restrained when other officers heard their colleague's screams. Belmarsh, dubbed 'Hellmarsh', saw 103 assaults against staff in the year up to June 2024 - the date of the last official inspection. Out of these, 11 were recorded as serious. The alleged assault renewed concerns about security inside British prisons after an earlier attack the month before by Manchester Arena bomber Hashem Abedi at HMP Frankland. A source was quoted as describing Rudakubana as the most dangerous prisoner in Britain. 'Rudakubana is pure evil - and the threats have continued despite his previous attack. Staff fear a repeat and he has nothing to lost,' they told The Sun. 'Threats are noted on the system if a prisoner says things like, ''I will kill you'' or ''I will smash your face''. 'They are also recorded if a prisoner shouts threats or things like ''Allahu Akbar''. 'Notes have been kept about Rudakubana - and they all point to him being the most dangerous prisoner in Britain.' Rudakubana is reportedly being held in the same secure unit as Hashem Abedi, who - when previously being held at HMP Frankland - set upon three prison guards with hot cooking oil and a makeshift blade. It comes as an inquiry into the Southport murders heard there had been a 'wholesale and general failure' to stop Rudakubana in the lead-up to his attack on a Taylor Swift-themed dance club last July. Inquiry chair Sir Adrian Fulford cited factors including Axel Rudakubana's ability to access violent material and buy knives online at a young age, as well as his capacity to leave home unsupervised to commit the masscre. In his opening remarks, Sir Adrian said that far from being 'an unforeseeable catastrophic event, Rudakubana had a 'known predilection for knife crime' and posed a 'very serious and significant risk of violent harm'. Over a period of more than two years, between January 2022 and July last year, he also managed to obtain an arsenal of weapons, including a bow and arrow, two types of machete, two large knives, a sledgehammer, materials to make Molotov cocktail explosives and other ingredients to make the deadly toxin ricin. The teenager managed to order and buy a 20cm chef's knife using a private VPN online, but his fascination with knives was long held and had been flagged on multiple occasions. Sir Adrian cited the fact that Rudakubana had been expelled from Range High School in Formby but managed to return and attack another pupil with a hockey stick on December 11, 2019. Rudakubana was found with a knife and overheard saying he intended to kill another pupil during the same incident. He was referred to Prevent on three occasions, on December 5, 2019, February 1, 2021, and April 26, 2021, after being spotted researching school shootings, the Libyan military dictator Colonel Gaddafi and the London Bridge terror attack online. He was reported missing on March 17, 2022, and later stopped on a bus by police armed with a knife. Sir Adrian said it was 'of potential critical importance' that again Rudakubana said during this incident that he wanted to stab someone. The teenager killer also had a passion for violent online content, as well as an ever-growing archive of gruesome articles and books, including works on the Rwandan genocide and Nazi Germany. Additional texts included tomes on urban warfare tactics and others containing gory details about torture and cannibalism.
The Sun
20-06-2025
- The Sun
Inside UK's most notorious jail where Baby P's evil killer is terrified of attack & rapists & murderers play hide & seek
SADISTIC Baby P killer Steven Barker spent his time in notorious Belmarsh prison 'watching children's daytime TV', a new book claims. Loathed more than any other inmate in a nick where terrorists and mass murderers do time, evil Barker was confined to his cell due to being 'at extreme risk of harm', according to a former lag. 13 13 13 The monster, who tortured his 17-month-old stepson Peter Connelly to death, was jailed for 12 years in 2009 over the tot's death in Tottenham, north London, two years earlier. Despite staying holed up in the jail, he was still targeted by other prisoners hellbent on revenge. 'Many inmates would go to his door, shout abuse and squirt urine from a Lynx shower gel bottle under his door,' the ex-prisoner claimed. 'He was detested. Staff at Belmarsh hated him, too.' The revealing new book, called Inside Belmarsh, also features claims that Black Cab Rapist John Worboys and Whitechapel Ripper Derek Brown bragged behind bars about concealing bodies. The hideous pair revelled in being 'hide and seek champions', according to the book about some of the high-security jail 's most notorious cons. There is no evidence that Worboys ever committed murder. It also claims terrorist Abu Hamza al-Masri — known as Captain Hook — was a serial 'whinger' who refused to be searched by women guards and requested special fittings for his cell. And former Conservative Cabinet member Jonathan Aitken, who served time in Belmarsh for perjury in 1999, tells how he helped write messages to lags' girlfriends. Now a prison chaplain, Aitken says one inmate asked him: 'Would you mind telling her that I'm longing to f*** her a different way?' 'Joke about victims' Nicknamed Hellmarsh, the South East London nick has housed the dregs of Britain's criminal fraternity, including killer cop Wayne Couzens, nail bomber David Copeland and child killer Stuart Hazell. Authors Jonathan Levi and Emma French have pieced together the lives of some of the most notorious offenders after speaking to former wardens and lags. The insiders' account of life in Belmarsh tells how Steven Barker — convicted of causing or allowing baby Peter 's death — was forced to lead a hermit-like existence. A former inmate said: 'In his case, it was deemed too much of a risk to allow him out of his cell. He was constantly locked up. He had greasy blond hair; he was very dirty and had poor hygiene and smelt. 'He is well over 6ft tall. A Lurch-type character. He had all his meals brought to his door. He never showered, never went out on exercise. 'He just sat in his cell watching children's daytime TV.' The book also details how serial sex fiend John Worboys and murderer Derek Brown developed a hideous friendship inside the nick. Worboys, 68, was jailed for at least eight years in 2009 for sex offences, including one rape, against 12 women. A decade later, he got a minimum of six years after admitting drugging four more with the intent to sexually assault them — although cops believe he may have had over 100 victims. 13 13 Picking up women late at night, he would claim that he had won money and offer them champagne laced with sedatives. Once incapacitated, he sexually assaulted them. One inmate said of Worboys: 'He would joke about his victims at times. He was very polite and quite pleasant to talk to. But as I got to know him well, I saw another side.' Worboys' prison pal Derek Brown, 61, lured two women from the streets of London 's East End before murdering them in his home. Neither body has ever been found. One ex-con told the authors Worboys had confided in him that he had 'murdered a boy'. The lag alleged: 'The boy he claimed to have murdered was a young boy from up north who travelled to London. 'He was 15, had a young face and glasses. I don't remember the name. 'Worboys said he was a hide and seek champion, too, and referred to the missing boy. Him and his mate in Bournemouth, Dave, did the boy. 'I left it and thought nothing of it, then it came on TV about the missing boy, a cold case. I saw it. "Worboys referred to it again and said that was his case. Brown and Worboys are from the same area and slept with the same prostitutes. They both knew each other. 'Brown never said he was involved, but with Worboys, there is a massive dark side.' Worboys said he was a hide and seek champion, too, and referred to the missing boy. Him and his mate in Bournemouth, Dave, did the boy Lag, on John Worboys An ex-prison officer named Jo remembered Worboys 'clearly', adding: 'I said at the time, 'If I got into his taxi, I would've felt completely safe'. That was the strange part, he had a warm, friendly face. 'On the wing, he was always polite. He'd say, 'Morning, ma'am', and he wasn't a disciplinary problem. He didn't come across as threatening, though of course, we all knew what he'd done.' Hook-handed hate preacher Abu Hamza was held in Belmarsh's High Security Unit. The former imam of Finsbury Park Mosque in North London, he was extradited to the US in 2012, where he is serving life for terror offences. An ex-inmate who was in the Belmarsh unit with Hamza described him as 'overweight, diabetic, high blood pressure, not very healthy', adding: 'Hamza was a serious complaints person. His disability allowed him to request a special fitted cell. 'Read a Bible' 'He had an adapted toilet with holding rails, a new sink with touch taps because of his one hand, his bed was adapted with an extra mattress to ease his back issue. 'He refused to be searched by female staff because of his Muslim faith (it was not allowed for a woman to touch a man), and he would argue with staff at any opportunity.' Met Police officer Wayne Couzens — who murdered marketing executive Sarah Everard in 2021 — tried to keep to the medical wing of the prison to avoid retribution, it is said. Jail worker Nik revealed: ''He barely spoke. 13 13 'He was always in the healthcare wing, under constant observation because he was a high-risk target for other inmates, purely because he was a police officer. Another ex-officer recalled: 'Wayne Couzens was there for the trial. He read a Bible for 18 months.' An officer called Caroline, who carried out Couzens' suicide watch, added: 'He was so quiet, like a mouse, didn't really speak.' Child killer Stuart Hazell — who got at least 38 years for murdering 12-year-old Tia Sharp in New Addington, South London, in 2012 — was held on remand at Belmarsh during his trial. One con whose prison stretch coincided with the killer's said: 'He was broken by the brutal regime at Belmarsh. I have seen offenders plead guilty at the last minute because of the stress. 'One such offender was Hazell. The public were led to believe the evidence against him was so strong, he did the right thing and pleaded guilty. "The facts are — and this was said by him to me — it was simply the aggravation of the journey, the process that made him change his plea to guilty. Belmarsh broke him.' Barry George — wrongfully convicted of the 1999 murder of BBC presenter Jill Dando — was bullied by staff, the book alleges. A former inmate said: 'Staff were very hostile towards him. They all called him 'Mrs Dando', which was, frankly, a little discourteous. 'He complained about the food and the conditions.' The ex-lag revealed Barry's cell was full of law books, adding: 'The public perception of him is that he is a slow, simplistic man with mental health issues, not very articulate and with no academic skills. This is wrong.' WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange caused a stir when he was visited at Belmarsh in 2019 by celeb backer and former Baywatch star Pamela Anderson. Ex-prison officer Nik said it caused 'havoc' among staff, admitting: 'It was bizarre seeing someone like her in that environment.' Of Assange, the former prison worker added: ''He's unhygienic, arrogant and narcissistic. He thought he was above the regime and made life difficult for staff. He refused to conform and thinks of himself like some kind of god.' Another ex-lag called Mike added of Assange: 'He looked like Father Christmas on crack.' Inside Belmarsh: Banged Up in Britain's Toughest Prison, by Jonathan Levi and Emma French, published July 3. 13 13 13
The Sun
08-06-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Southport monster Axel Rudakubana eyes move to ‘cushy' secure hospital as he has tests to see if he's ‘mad or bad'
SOUTHPORT monster Axel Rudakubana is being considered for a move from prison to a 'cushy' secure hospital, The Sun can reveal. Triple child killer Rudakubana, 18, has had assessments with therapists and psychologists over whether he is 'mad not bad'. 5 5 If the fiend is cleared for treatment in a mental health unit he could be switched from HMP Belmarsh to either Broadmoor, Ashworth or Rampton hospitals. Inmates at England's three top-secure psychiatric units are treated as 'patients' rather than prisoners, with a focus on their therapy. Any move would spark controversy also hit the taxpayer with a much higher bill – of £325,000 per year compared to £57,000 in prison - for Rudakubana's care. It comes after we told how Rudakubana - serving at least 52 years - was still allowed canteen treats at HMP Belmarsh despite a scalding water attack on a guard at the jail on May 8. And a source said: 'Rudakubana has had the initial tests to see whether he can be classed as mentally ill and moved to a hospital unit. 'Conversations are happening now about his future, after he was being assessed by therapists, psychologists and other medical experts. 'He is very keen for a move because but others at Belmarsh think he is gaming the system. 'He knows he would be on easy street at any hospital, as opposed to Belmarsh which is one of the toughest prisons in the UK. 'If you are serving a sentence as long as his, you would want to be in a secure hospital unit rather than prison. 'No officer at Belmarsh believes he is mentally ill but he says the right things in meetings. Southport fiend Axel Rudakubana hurled scalding water over prison guard in 'terrifying' attack putting victim in hospital 'He was also treated by the NHS before the Southport attack which means he is more likely to be eligible for life in a secure hospital. 'If he was moved, he would be kept in better conditions, with all the rooms single ones and less restrictions on things like TV and DvDs plus visitors.' Rudakubana, of Banks, Lancs, was caged for life in January for the 'sadistic' murders of Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, Bebe King, six and nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar at a Taylor Swift themed dance class in Southport last July. When he was sentenced it was revealed he had been under the care of an NHS mental health service between 2019 and 2023 - until he 'stopped engaging'. The fiend has been held under strict conditions at Category A Belmarsh Prison, London. But we told last month how he was able to hurl boiling water at a guard. Our source added: 'Since the attack, the Governor at Belmarsh has been trying to move Rudakubana on. 'But no Category A jails want to accept him and there are a lack of suitable places. 'Rudakubana would also be less of a target himself for attack in a hospital than he is in prison. 'He would also get 10 times more than he does in prison, in terms of care and conditions. 'It is not right given his horrific crimes but it could happen and the decision will be taken pretty soon.' Ministry of Justice sources confirmed initial assessments had started – but said no hospital referral had been 'initiated' or was ongoing. Britain's secure hospitals have held some of the country's most heinous killers including Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe, Moors Murderer Ian Brady and double cop killer Dale Cregan. Sutcliffe was held at Broadmoor from 1984 to 2016 and had his own TV and DVD player in a private room with James Bond posters on the walls. The secure hospital's website explains its focus on therapy and psychology-based treatment – with patients encouraged to take part in arts and crafts, sport and social activities. A central building – surrounded by gardens – contains a café, shop and hairdresser, woodwork and ceramics workshops, classrooms and a 'multi-faith sanctuary'. 5 5 5
Sky News
31-05-2025
- General
- Sky News
Prison officers should be armed with lethal weapons to crack down on Islamist terrorists, Tories say
Prison officers should be armed with lethal weapons to crack down on Islamist terrorists in jail, the shadow justice secretary has said. Highly trained teams should also be equipped with tasers, stun grenades and baton rounds to tackle dangerous criminals in high-security jails, Robert Jenrick said. The plan is taken from a series of recommendations by counter-extremism expert and former prison governor Ian Acheson. It comes after a prison officer at high-security prison Long Lartin in Worcestershire was stabbed on Friday morning with a weapon Sky News understands was brought in from outside the prison. It also follows several attacks on prison officers in jails. In April this year, the Manchester Arena bomb plotter, Hashem Abedi, allegedly assaulted prison staff by throwing hot oil on them and then launching a stabbing attack, injuring three officers. At Belmarsh prison, Southport killer Axel Rudakubana has been accused of throwing boiling water over an officer through the hatch in his cell door earlier this month. Mr Jenrick said: "Islamist gangs and violent prisoners in our jails are out of control. It's a national security emergency, but the government is dithering. If they don't act soon, there is a very real risk that a prison officer is kidnapped or murdered in the line of duty, or that a terrorist attack is directed from inside prison." He said he commissioned Mr Acheson to conduct a rapid review into measures the government could adopt. The measures include removing all radical Islamist imams working in prisons, immediately rolling out high-collar stab vests to frontline officers, and mandating the quarterly release of data on religious conversions in prison and faith-based incidents. It also recommended legislating to overturn the De Silva ruling to strip back judicial interference in operational decisions by governors to isolate extremists. Mr Jenrick added: "We have to stop pussy-footing around Islamist extremists and violent offenders in jails. "That means arming specialist prison officer teams with tasers and stun grenades, as well as giving them access to lethal weapons in exceptional circumstances. "If prison governors can't easily keep terrorist influencers and radicalising inmates apart from the mainstream prisoners they target, then we don't control our prisons - they do. We must take back control and restore order by giving officers the powers and protection they need." Mr Acheson said: "Too often what goes wrong behind the walls of our high security jails passes unnoticed, as does the bravery of the men and women in uniform who deal every day with terrorists and other highly dangerous offenders. "Robert Jenrick is right - the threat to officer safety is now intolerable and must be met decisively by the government. "The balance inside too many of our prisons has shifted away from control by the state to mere containment and the price is soaring levels of staff assaults and wrecked rehabilitation. Broken officers can't help fix broken people - or protect the public from violent extremism." A Ministry of Justice source said: "The government considers the introduction of lethal weapons into prisons would put prison officers at greater risk." They added: "The last government added just 500 cells to our prison estate, and left our jails in total crisis. In 14 years, they closed 1,600 cells in the high-security estate, staff assaults soared, and experienced officers left in droves. Now the arsonists are pretending to be firefighters. "This government is cleaning up the mess the last government left behind. We are building new prisons, with 2,400 new cells opened since we took office. And we take a zero-tolerance approach to violence and extremism inside."
Daily Mail
30-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Monster's tuck shop! Southport killer Axel Rudakubana 'allowed to buy treats in prison such as Maltesers and crisps' despite throwing scorching water over a prison guard in horror attack
Southport killer Axel Rudakubana is allegedly allowed to buy treats in prison such as Maltesers and crisps despite throwing scorching water over a prison guard three weeks ago. The 18-year-old triple murderer, who was sentenced to 52 years for the murders of Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancome, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, reportedly has the treats delivered to his cell in HMP Belmarsh. It is also claimed that he is allowed to call his family, have religious visits and receive money from relatives while in the south east London prison. A source told The Sun that Rudakubana has been 'spending £5.50 a week' since he attacked the guard and is allowed to buy 'anything he likes as long as it's not dangerous'. They added: 'He's still allowed to buy things like Maltesers and Pringles crisps if he fancies them.' Since Rudakubana attacked the guard he has been on a 'basic' level of treatment behind bars meaning he no longer has access to a TV and that his time out of his cell has been restricted. He is also said to be no longer permitted to purchase butter or baby oil which could be heated for an attack. The source added: 'He is mostly confined to his cell. He fills in a sheet and stuff gets delivered. 'That means that prison officers, who are the colleagues of the guy he attacked, have to collect his canteen order and deliver it to his cell.' Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick labelled Rudakubana a 'monster' and said that he had such privileges was a 'disgrace'. Mr Jenrick added: 'He should be stripped of them immediately, no questions asked. 'It's the least the victims of his horrendous crime would expect. We've got to regain control of prisons before an officer is killed.' Rudakubana is also believed to have had visits from an imam, a person who leads prayers in a mosque, since his attack. However the 18-year-old has been barred from religious events over concerns he would be targeted. MailOnline reported earlier this month that Rudakubana's pre-planned boiling water attack left a prison guard screaming in agony. It was feared the killer had added sugar to the scalding water in a bid to cause more severe injuries. But it was understood that the prison officer was taken to hospital as a precautionary measure and was discharged later that day. He is also believed to have returned to work the following week. Rudakubana has been caged on the same secure unit as Manchester Arena terrorist, Hashem Abedi, who assaulted prison guards in HMP Frankland last month.
