Islamic extremists launched brutal attack on prison officer using lumps of twisted metal

Footage has captured the moment two Islamic extremists allegedly launched a brutal attack on a prison officer using lumps of twisted metal after luring him into a store cupboard by asking for a replacement spoon. 

Brusthom Ziamani, 25, and fellow inmate Baz Hockton, 26, allegedly lured Prison Officer (PO) Neil Trundle towards a cupboard before attacking him while wearing hoax suicide vests at HMP Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire. 

CCTV footage allegedly showed Ziamani and Hockton following PO Trundle as he walked towards the store cupboard on January 9. Suddenly the pair appear to jump on Mr Trundle, pushing him further into the store room.

The alarm was sounded in the prison and PO Georgina Ibbotson was one of the first on the scene. She said she tried to calm Ziamani but he punched her in the face so hard she sank to her knees and thought she was dying.

As she looked over her left shoulder she saw nurse Jayne Cowles laying on her side dazed and confused.

PO Ibbotson managed to stagger to her feet and felt the blood dripping down her skin as she hid inside a storeroom cupboard.

Appearing in the witness box at the Old Bailey on Wednesday, she said: ‘I saw two men standing in front of me, Mr Ziamani and Mr Hockton both holding weapons.

‘I could see they had something in their hands and they holding it in clenched fists.

‘They were really hyped up and full of adrenaline and really intimidating definitely. I put my hands out and just said “woah”.

‘Mr Ziamani took a step forward, so I put my hands on my belt to rack my baton.' 

‘Mr Ziamani punched me in the face as hard as he could. It was really like a big shock.

‘I fell to my knees. After I got assaulted and stood up, when I looked over my left shoulder nurse (Jayne) Cowles was on the floor laying on her side looking shocked.

‘I went to the back of the store cupboard. I could feel the blood dripping down my face. I did not know how bad the injuries were and I was fearing for my life.’

Mr Trundle was left covered in blood from multiple cuts after Ziamani asked him if he could replace a broken spoon. 

Earlier on January 9, Ms Ibbotson said Ziamani had also asked her to fetch a spoon from the store cupboard which gave her a 'gut feeling'.

She said: 'It just made me feel uncomfortable - it made me feel like it was something I did not want to do.'

Ziamani told staff he had a bomb when they intervened to help their colleague, the Old Bailey heard.

Both inmates were found to have been hoarding writings on Islamic extremist ideology after the brutal violence, it was said.

The pair allegedly used lumps of twisted metal, makeshift stabbing instruments and a homemade shank in a ‘carefully planned’ attack.

Ziamani was serving a sentence for plotting to murder a British Army officer at the time of the attack, the court has heard.

Ziamani, formerly of Camberwell, southeast London, and Hockton, formerly of Ramsgate, both deny attempted murder.