Two inmates already serving life for murder have been sentenced to six more years each for threatening to kill a prison officer at a North Yorkshire jail days after the murder of Fusilier Lee Rigby.
Feroz Khan and Fuad Awale, both 26, were found guilty at the Old Bailey last week following the incident at HMP Full Sutton on May 26 last year.
Khan was also convicted of inflicting grievous bodily harm on prison officer Richard Thompson after relations between Muslim inmates and guards ”became strained” in the days following Fusilier Rigby’s death.
Judge Michael Topolski QC sentenced Khan to six years for threats to kill and three years for GBH, to run concurrently at the end of his life sentence with a minimum of 20 years.
Awale was also sentenced to six years for threats to kill, to be served at the end of his life sentence, which carries a minimum term of 38 years.
Passing sentence, the judge said: “This was a premeditated, well planned and carefully orchestrated attack on a single and previously identified prison officer, who was, as such, performing a public duty and upon whom it has had a significant impact.
“The events as a whole formed part of a joint enterprise involving force and weapons, committed by men with convictions for murder.
“Both of you carried weapons to the cleaning office.
“Given the context, the level of threats uttered and repeated were truly appalling, causing great anguish, not just to prison officer Thompson but also his colleagues who were convinced he was going to die in horrific circumstances.”
The men were cleared by the jury of charges of false imprisonment during the four and a half hour stand-off along with co-defendant David Watson, 27.
Khan was also found not guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm against another officer.
Their trial earlier this year heard allegations that the defendants called for the release of Abu Qatada and Roshonara Choudhry, a student who attempted to stab MP Stephen Timms to death in 2010.
They were also accused of demanding to be flown to Afghanistan, the jury heard.
Awale had taken knives from a cleaning office cupboard and rubbed them together giving the impression he was “preparing to carve a Sunday joint”, the judge said.
He told Mr Thompson: “Stop struggling – I’ve killed two people, I will kill you, I will kill you.”
The officer said he had “every belief” he would be killed if he did not do as ordered because of the “intensity and seriousness” Awale had displayed.
Awale at one point asked Khan “can I give him one in a non-vital area?” and later said: “I thought his head would have come off by now.”
Khan, for his part, told Mr Thompson that he had more reason to be fearful because he was believed to be ex-military, the court heard.
When hedenied having been in the military, Khan told the officer: “Well, somebody has to make a sacrifice.”
