- Published
A prisoner took his own life after strict terrorism control measures imposed by the government had a "substantial impact" on his mental state, an inquest jury has concluded.
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jury → publish → state
Akhtar Uddin, 35, a builder from east London, died in HMP Wandsworth on Christmas Day 2021 after being jailed the previous year for breaching Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures (TPIM).
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Uddin → die → Measures
The jury at Inner West London Coroner's Court also found the prison service had failed to provide the support that Uddin needed.
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Uddin → find → that
Jurors concluded that Uddin died due to an action he took but said that it was "not possible to determine whether he intended the outcome to be his death".
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outcome → conclude → action
Prior to being jailed in February 2020 for breaching the TPIM order, Uddin had served a sentence for racially or religiously aggravated harassment.
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Uddin → jail → harassment
TPIMs allow the authorities to control people whom the government believes are involved in terrorism, but who are not facing criminal charges.
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who → allow → charges
The home secretary acts on advice from MI5 when imposing TPIMs.
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secretary → act → TPIMs
Subjects of TPIMs face measures such as wearing an electronic tag, curfews, relocation to a different part of the country, bans on internet use, controls on finances, and limits on who they can meet and where they can go.
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they → face → who
Breaches can result in a terrorism conviction and prison sentence.
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Breaches → result → conviction
TPIMs can currently last up to five years, up from a maximum of two years when Uddin was under one.
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Uddin → last → one
Uddin breached the measures 12 times by withdrawing more money than he was permitted.
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he → breach → money
The inquest heard he largely spent it on drugs.
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he → hear → drugs
He had over 20 previous criminal convictions - none of which were for terrorism offences.
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none → have → offences
The inquest, which was the first ever to consider the impact of TPIMs, heard that Uddin believed the order was originally imposed because he had made reckless statements while under the influence of drugs, but that he insisted he was not a terrorist.
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he → consider → drugs
It is understood he was alleged to have made verbal threats and associated with people regarded by MI5 as being involved in terrorist activity.
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he → understand → activity
Coroner Bernard Richmond KC said Uddin was "loved and loving" but was "not someone without his troubles" and these revolved around his drug use.
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these → say → use
The coroner said he will be issuing a report to the government out of concern about a risk to other people under the terrorism control measures.
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he → say → measures
When the TPIM was first imposed on Uddin in January 2020, he was forcibly relocated to the West Midlands after being arrested at the prison gates in front of his sister who had come to meet him on release.
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who → impose → release
The full reasons for a person being on a TPIM are typically kept secret, even from the person subject to the TPIM, because they are based on MI5 intelligence.
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they → keep → intelligence
The inquest heard that Uddin feared the TPIM would be re-imposed when he left prison early in 2022, and that he would again breach it due to drugs.
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he → hear → drugs
Today the inquest jury concluded the following:
"We are satisfied that the imposition of the original TPIM and its unusually restrictive nature had a substantial impact on the mental state of Akhtar Uddin."
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imposition → conclude → Uddin
"We are satisfied that the fear of a likely reimposition of such a restrictive TPIM, and its possibly never-ending nature, had a significant impact on the mental state of Akhtar in prison."
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fear → end → prison
"We are satisfied, as a result of the consistent evidence that prison services were unaware of TPIM restrictions and their likely impact on Akhtar, there was a failure to provide support most suitably targeted to Akhtar's specific needs and situations."
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services → be → needs
A governor at HMP Wandsworth accepted in evidence that lack of knowledge of TPIMs by prison staff had resulted in "unintentionally cruel" treatment of Uddin.
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lack → accept → Uddin
Giving evidence, Uddin's sister Jasmine said that, in the weeks before his death, he had described "counter terrorism officers" questioning him in prison and saying he would never get off the TPIM.
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he → give → TPIM
A statement from Uddin's family, issued by their solicitors Birnberg Peirce, said they welcomed the inquest's findings.
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they → issue → findings
"Although nothing can bring back their loving son, brother and uncle, they hope that this will make a real difference to those who are currently at the mercy of this inhumane regime."
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who → bring → regime
His former solicitor, Amer Ahmad, had told Uddin in autumn 2021 there were "highly limited prospects" that he would succeed in having the TPIM legally overturned, the inquest heard.
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inquest → tell → autumn
Dr Richard Latham, an NHS consultant forensic psychiatrist, appeared as an expert witness for the coroner and concluded that Uddin had an undiagnosed "personality disorder", associated "psychological problems and vulnerabilities", and this resulted in impulsiveness, grievance and paranoia.
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this → appear → impulsiveness
He said Uddin probably assumed the worst about the TPIM in future, and that this prospect would have created "distress and a sense of hopelessness".
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prospect → say → hopelessness
Dr Latham added TPIMs are intended to create a "degree of isolation," but that plays on psychological vulnerability and can create "emotional isolation".
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that → add → isolation
Uddin also "felt a sense of injustice" about being branded a terrorist, Dr Latham said.
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Latham → feel → injustice
The inquest heard there was little or no awareness by staff in HMP Wandsworth of TPIMs.
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inquest → hear → TPIMs
The coroner said "very few people, if any" knew about Uddin's TPIM, the revocation, or potential re-imposition.
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people → say → TPIM
In the absence of jurors, the coroner said there was much assessment by the state of Uddin's potential risk to others, but he had seen "nothing" showing any assessment of risks to him.
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he → say → him
He said there is a "paucity of support for people subject to TPIMs" and there is a potential risk to other people subjected to them.
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He → say → them
For this reason, he added, he would be writing a preventing future deaths report.
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he → add → report
There has been a trend towards TPIM subjects having mental health issues.
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subjects → have → issues
The independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, Jonathan Hall KC, has noted in previous reports that the "Home Office recognises poor mental health as a dominant feature amongst recent TPIM subjects" and that "poor mental health and neurodivergence (autism)" as being in evidence amongst them.
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Office → note → them
This article contains details some readers may have found upsetting.
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readers → contain → details
…and 1 more, not listed.
The Aporia
