Walid Saadaoui and Amar Hussein were last week convicted of what cops said would have been ‘one of the deadliest terrorist attacks to ever take place on UK soil’
Two Islamic extremists who plotted what would have been Britain’s worst terror attack since 7/7 are reportedly being held in a cushy jail where they can watch TV, make phone calls and hit the gym.
Walid Saadaoui and Amar Hussein were last week convicted over a gun plot to massacre Jews in Greater Manchester. They were thwarted by undercover cops, and reportedly told an officer that if Christians got caught up in their attack “that is a bonus”.
After being convicted on December 23 of preparing terrorist acts, they are now awaiting sentencing, with the hearing set for February 13.
In the meantime, they are being held in Preston Prison, a category B jail where books and DVDs are delivered to lags, reports The Sun.
The publication says they are on a standard regime which sees them receive £20 a week of taxpayers’ cash to spend in the prison canteen. They also reportedly have access to Freeview TVs and DVD players, and to educational and vocational courses in areas such as graphic design.
Convicted terrorists are usually held in one of Britain’s eight high-security jails, including nearby HMP Manchester, Frankland Prison in County Durham and London’s Belmarsh prison.
The Sun quoted a source saying: “It’s outrageous they are together in a cushy medium-security prison like Preston rather than a tough, high-security one.
“They are clearly a huge danger but their regime means they can mix freely and do things like make phone calls and order books and DVDs to their cells.”
Saadaoui, 38, and Hussein, 52, both from Bolton, ordered assault rifles and carried out reconnaissance missions to Upper Broughton in Salford, and to Dover, where they believed illegal firearms would be imported.
After Saadaoui and Hussein were convicted, counter-terrorism cop Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts said they “intended to target members of the Jewish community in an evil act born out of hate and intolerance. If they had been successful then what followed would have been devastating and potentially one of the deadliest terrorist attacks to ever take place on UK soil.”
Saadaoui’s brother, Bilel, 36, was convicted of failure to disclose information about an act of terrorism.
Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts added: “Although Walid Saadaoui’s brother, Bilel, was not an active participant in preparations for this plot, he knew what was planned but chose to remain silent and that is simply not good enough.”
The Ministry of Justice said it could not comment on prisoner locations.
Category B prisons are the largest category of prison, according to the Howard League for Penal Reform website. They tend to hold un-sentenced prisoners, prisoners on remand awaiting trial, short-sentenced prisoners or those newly sentenced and awaiting transfer to another prison category.
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