Hashem Abedi’s attack took place in a separation centre at HMP Frankland high-security prison, which has been dubbed ‘Monster Mansion’ due to crimes committed by its notorious inmates
Some of Britain’s most notorious criminals have been housed at HMP Frankland. The maximum security prison in County Durham has had inmates who have committed some of the worst offences of all, including serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, murderer Ian Huntley and serial rapist Delroy Grant, – and Manchester arena terrorist plotter Hashem Abedi.
On Saturday, three police officers sustained life-threatening injuries after being attacked by the 28-year-old who was jailed for life for helping his brother, Salman Abedi, carry out the 2017 suicide bombing. The bombing at the Ariana Grande concert tragically killed 22 concertgoers.
The incident at the prison saw Abedi throw hot cooking oil over officers and use “homemade weapons” to stab them. The statement released by the Prison Officers’ Association – which is the trade union covering prison staff – reported that one female and two male officers were being treated in hospital after the attack. The female officer was discharged by 4pm on Saturday while her two male colleagues remain in hospital with serious injuries although in a stable condition.
Saturday’s attack took place in a separation centre at HMP Frankland, where Abedi has been a long-term inmate. That centre – which holds fewer than 10 inmates – is used to house prisoners regarded as the most dangerous and extremist.
Mark Fairhurst, national chairman of the Prison Officers’ Association, said on Sunday that the separation centres are “very well resourced – for obvious reasons” but “to allow that type of prisoner to access the kitchen and use utensils that can be used as weapons… needs to be removed immediately”.
He said: “We are demanding that with immediate effect they restrict and remove cooking facilities from separation centres. We are worried about the knock-on effects and copycat incidents.”
According to the Ministry of Justice, the separation model was introduced in 2017 to separate and control prisoners who present a risk that cannot be managed in a mainstream location. For example, they can be prevented from disrupting the prison estate, supporting acts of terrorism, or radicalising other inmates.
Fairhurst told the BBC he was “appalled” that offenders in these locations were being “allowed the same privileges as normal location prisoners”. He said: “A separation centre is there for a reason.
“All we need to do with those types of prisoners is give them their basic entitlements. Separation centres should be for control and containment because these people are not going to change their ideologies and they are intent on inflicting harm on everyone they come into contact with.”
According to reports, staff are “shaken” by what happened at the prison this weekend. An unnamed prison officer told the BBC: “You can’t help asking yourself why you do this job when something like this happens.”
Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) NE will be leading the investigation into the “serious assault”. CTP’s acting senior national co-ordinator, Commander Dom Murphy, said: “Given the nature of the incident, it has been agreed that CTP North East will lead the investigation, supported by Durham Constabulary.
“This is an ongoing investigation which is in its early stages, and we are working hard to establish the facts. Therefore, we are unable to comment further at this time.” A 2022 inspection found nine men in total were housed in separation centres, then operating in Frankland and HMP Woodhill in Buckinghamshire.
The report said the Frankland unit is on a narrow corridor with a small “room for association” and an area for prisoners to cook and prepare food. It also noted that there were no facilities on the wing, and staff could arrange for prisoners to visit the main prison gym or to be taken off the unit for education.
HMP Frankland has been dubbed ‘Monster Mansion’ due to crimes committed by its inmates. It opened in 1983 and only holds male prisoners who are over 21 years of age, and whose sentence is usually four years or more, as well as life sentences and high-risk remand prisoners.
Other notable inmates who were housed at HMP Frankland included serial killer Levi Bellfield and killer-rapist cop Wayne Couzens, Lee Rigby’s killer Michael Adebolajo, nail bomber David Copeland and Sally Anne Bowman’s murderer Mark Dixie.
Overall, Frankland houses more than 800 prisoners at a time, and they are all housed in single cells that include a TV, a washbasin, and toilet facilities. Prisoners are rewarded for their good behaviour with game consoles and DVD players.
Recently, the prison made headlines as a murderer, Urfan Sharif, was reportedly being protected by a gang. Sharif is serving a 40-year minimum life sentence for murdering his 10-year-old daughter, Sara Sharif, in August 2023. After killing the schoolgirl at his home in Woking, Surrey, Sharif then called the police, telling them where to find her body before he fled to Pakistan with partner Beinash Batool and Sara’s uncle, Faisal Malik.
The 43-year-old was jailed in December with judge Mr Justice John Cavanagh describing his abuse as “almost inconceivable”. Shariff started his life sentence in London’s HMP Belmarsh prison but was moved to HMP Frankland after being attacked in his cell. However, in Frankland, Sharif is reportedly being protected by a gang.
A source told the Sun: “Sharif has not been touched at Frankland – and it is largely down to this Muslim gang. They are on the same wing as him and they have put the word around that he is not to be touched. They’ve said that anyone who tries anything will have them to deal with.”
Back in June 2023, the prison made headlines again when an inmate was engaged in a dramatic stand-off with police on the roof of the prison – wearing just his pants. Three officers in riot gear and a negotiator were sent to deal with the incident.
Images taken by Chronicle Live showed a man lying on the roof of the prison wearing only his underpants and black trainers as he spoke to officers during the tense showdown. A Prison Service spokesperson said at the time: “Staff are urgently working to bring the prisoner down safely.”
Serial killer Sutcliffe was moved to the high-security prison in August 2016 after spending three decades at Broadmoor secure unit. The murderer was given 20 life sentences in 1981 after admitting to murdering 13 women and attempting to kill seven more. In November 2020, Sutcliffe died of coronavirus while serving the whole-life term at Frankland.
Evil Huntley murdered 10-year-old girls Holly Marie Wells and Jessica Aimee Chapman, in their home town of Soham, Cambridgeshire. The school caretaker enticed them into his home before killing them in what police believe was a fit of rage. Huntley remains in Frankland. In 2018, a confession recorded behind bars was leaked to The Sun, in which Huntley apologised for the immense pain he caused and begged for forgiveness, saying: “I think about them every day.”
A spokesperson for the Prison Service said violence in prisons “will not be tolerated”. They said: “We will always push for the strongest punishment for attacks on our hardworking staff.”
