Killers and terrorists have successfully secured taxpayer-funded compensation and legal fees reaching approximately one million pounds for their time spent in solitary confinement.
The Justice Secretary, David Lammy, has approved a payment of £7,500 in compensation and £234,000 in legal expenses for Fuad Awale, a double murderer who also held a prison officer hostage. This decision came after the High Court ruled that Awale’s confinement in a high-security unit at HMP Woodhill violated his human rights.
Similarly, Denny De Silva, serving a 27-year sentence for murder, was awarded £255,000 in legal costs for claiming that isolation from other inmates caused him excessive anxiety.
Convicted terrorist Sahayb Abu and gangland triple murderer Kevan Thakrar also successfully argued against their solitary confinement, though the exact costs are undisclosed. Based on previous awards, the total legal expenses are estimated to be close to £978,000.
Recent revelations indicated that 52 prisoners were being held in similar high-security units, suggesting that the government may face additional compensation cases in the future. Thakrar, who previously received £800 in compensation for damaged personal items, was found to have been unlawfully segregated, violating his right to privacy and family life.
Despite his admission to stabbing a prison officer and two colleagues, Thakrar was acquitted of attempted murder charges. He is currently serving a life sentence for a drug-related triple murder in 2007.
Awale, convicted for the double shooting of teenagers and later threatening a prison officer, claimed severe depression due to his solitary confinement, which the High Court deemed a breach of his human rights.
Critics, including Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick, have condemned the compensation payouts, particularly to individuals with violent criminal histories. De Silva, described as an extremist enforcer, was also involved in smuggling phones with extremist material and assaulting fellow inmates.
Abu, a rapper known as the “Masked Menace,” was isolated over concerns of radicalization attempts. The Ministry of Justice declined to comment on the ongoing cases.
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