Manchester Arena bomber's brother refuses to appear in court over prison-attack charges

Hashem Abedi, 28, extradited to Britain in 2019 and already serving a life sentence with a minimum term of 55 years for helping to construct the Manchester Arena bomb that killed 22 people in May 2017, did not attend a Westminster Magistrates Court hearing via video link on charges accusing him of attempting to kill three prison officers and of assaulting a fourth at HMP Frankland in Durham. He is also accused of unauthorised possession of several makeshift knives fashioned from metal cooking trays, prosecutors said.

According to prosecutors, the alleged incident occurred after Abedi emerged from a kitchen on the separation unit at category-A HMP Frankland with a pan of hot oil and poured it over one officer before stabbing him in the neck with a makeshift knife. Three other officers came to their colleague's aid; two required surgery for their injuries and another suffered a broken finger, court documents show.

Abedi was due to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court by video link from Belmarsh Prison today, where he has been transferred, but he did not turn up and was not represented by a lawyer. Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring told the short hearing that he had no power to deal with him in his absence and that while he could order that Abedi ought to appear, the prison governor would have the authority to arrange any necessary measures to bring him to court. The case was adjourned until September 25 to allow any further arrangements.

In addition to the Frankland charges, Abedi faces a count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm on a different officer, as well as multiple counts of attempted murder tied to the attack on the prison officers, according to the Crown Prosecution Service update presented at the hearing. He is also accused of unauthorised possession of several improvised knives crafted from metal trays, prosecutors said.

Abedi is already serving a three-year and ten-month sentence for an earlier attack on the manager of the high-security unit at Belmarsh jail in May 2020, two months after his initial conviction for the Manchester Arena bombing. The Belmarsh incident, described in court filings, involved sustained violence and led to additional security sanctions within the facility.

The Manchester Arena bombing, carried out by Abedi's older brother Salman Abedi, killed 22 people and injured hundreds when a suicide attack detonated at the end of a concert in Manchester in May 2017. Hashem Abedi was extradited to Britain in 2019 and convicted at the Old Bailey on March 17, 2020, for his role in constructing the device. The latest charges at Frankland reflect ongoing legal actions tied to security incidents involving inmates linked to the 2017 attack.

Legal observers note that the morning's hearing, held via video link from a high-security prison, underscores the challenges of coordinating court appearances for inmates in remote locations. The magistrate's decision to adjourn leaves open the possibility of a rescheduled appearance in the weeks ahead, while authorities emphasize the importance of ensuring defendants attend court to uphold due-process rights.

While the case remains separate from the 2017 charges, authorities say the underlying investigation into the Manchester Arena attack continues through multiple prosecutions and disciplinary actions at various prisons. The public and victims' families have long awaited accountability in all related proceedings.