Terrorist who stabbed two people 'wanted to kill the Queen'

Sudesh Amman expressed extreme views while serving time in a top security jail before London knife attack

Sudesh Amman declared his intention to kill Britain’s Queen Elizabeth before being released from prison. AFP

A terrorist declared his intention to kill Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II before being released from prison to stab two people, an inquest has heard.

Armed police shot dead Sudesh Amman, 20, in February 2020, 10 days after he left Belmarsh top security jail in south-east London, where he met other extremists.

Jurors at his inquest heard that he openly expressed extremist views in jail, including his intention to be a suicide bomber.

A prison report showed that he had been shouting about “non-believers” and saying that everyone would “come under the black flag” of ISIS. A note was found in his cell declaring allegiance to the group.

Amman wanted to spend time in the jail’s top-security unit — designed for the most dangerous prisoners — because of the “status” it would give him, the inquest was told.

Terrorist Sudesh Amman expressed extreme views in prison before his release. Metropolitan Police

He became the youngest terrorist prisoner at Belmarsh after being convicted in 2018 for preparing acts of terrorism, including storing information on knife crimes and sharing ISIS beheading videos.

The inquest heard that police asked the prison governor to keep him behind bars after serving two-thirds of his jail sentence because of fears that he might carry out another attack.

But officials refused and the court heard that he was being followed by nine surveillance officers at the time of the attack. They were unable to stop him from stabbing two people before he was shot dead.

The inquest continues.