Manchester Arena bomb plotter Hashem Abedi has pleaded not guilty to carrying out what prosecutors describe as "terrorist" attacks on prison officers at a maximum security jail. The 28-year-old appeared at the Old Bailey on Friday by videolink from Belmarsh prison, flanked by four officers.
Prosecutor Jocelyn Ledward KC told the court the case had a terrorist connection. She alleged that on April 12, 2025, at HMP Frankland, Abedi attacked three prison officers using hot cooking oil and makeshift weapons during a supervised cooking session.
The court heard Abedi shouted "Allahu akbar" twice during the incident. Ms Ledward said there was no indication the defendant had any previous hostility towards the victims, citing his extremist mindset linked to his Manchester Arena conviction.
Charges and court proceedings
Abedi denied attempting to murder prison officers Paul Crampton, Gary Speight and Catherine Herbert. He also pleaded not guilty to assaulting Craig Thompson, causing actual bodily harm, and to possessing a bladed article at the County Durham prison.
Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb set his trial for January 18, 2027, expected to last two to three weeks. She ordered him to attend his next hearing on January 30, 2026, and Abedi was remanded into custody.
Legal representation decision
When asked about legal representation, Abedi said: "Yeah, basically I don't want to attend anyway. That's why." Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb observed his choice to remain unrepresented was his own decision.
The prosecutor outlined the allegations, stating Abedi had constructed the weapons himself and attempted to murder the three officers while also assaulting a fourth member of staff.
Manchester Arena connection
Abedi was jailed for life in August 2020 with a record-breaking 55-year minimum term for assisting his brother Salman Abedi's terror plot. Salman Abedi killed 22 people by detonating a homemade rucksack bomb among concert-goers at Manchester Arena in May 2017.
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
