Prisoner took his own life after terror order had 'substantial impact' on mental state, inquest finds
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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.
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).
The jury at Inner West London Coroner’s Court also found the prison service had failed to provide the support that Uddin needed.
They 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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Prior to being jailed in February 2020 for breaching the TPIM order, Uddin had served a sentence for racially or religiously aggravated harassment.
TPIMs allow the authorities to control people whom the government believes are involved in terrorism, but who are not facing criminal charges. The home secretary acts on advice from MI5 when imposing 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
- Limits on who they can meet and where they can go.
Breaches can result in a terrorism conviction and prison sentence. TPIMs can currently last up to five years, up from a maximum of two years when Uddin was under one.
Uddin breached the measures 12 times by withdrawing more money than he was permitted. The inquest heard he largely spent it on drugs. He had over 20 previous criminal convictions - none of which were for terrorism 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.
It is understood he was alleged to have made verbal threats and associated with people regarded by MI5 as being involved in terrorist 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Today the inquest jury concluded:
"We are satisfied that the imposition of the original TPIM and its unusually restrictive nature had a substantial impact on ... "