Notorious hate preacher Anjem Choudary may have inspiredManchester Arena bomberHashem Abedi's horrifying assault on three prison officers last weekend.
Abedi attacked three warders with burning cooking oil and a makeshift blade at HMP Frankland, County Durham on Saturday, leaving them with life-threatening injuries.
Choudary, 58, was previously held in the same 'segregation unit' as 28-year-oldAbedi and other jihadist fanatics, The Sunreported.
All the prisoners on the unit have now been dispersed to other jails following the brutal attack.
But intelligence reports are said to have previously flagged the possibility of inmates falling under the spell of Choudary during their time in the 'prison within a prison'.
The boyfriend of one of the Manchester Arena victims has now spoken out about the attack on prison officers this weekend and saysAbedi 'should be in a straitjacket'.
Russell Hayward,who lost his boyfriend Martyn Hett in the blast on May 22, 2017 told Newsnight that he and the other families of the victims have 'been failed again'.
He said: 'The fact that he has been able to inflict more pain, more suffering on innocent people is sickening and outrageous.'
Manchester Arena bomberHashem Abedi, 28, attacked three prison officers with cooking oil and makeshift weapons at HMP Frankland, County Durham on Saturday
Salman Abedi, Hashem's brother, at Victoria Station making his way to the Manchester Arena, on May 22, 2017
Police reportedly believe hate preacherAnjem Choudary, who was in the same segregation unit asAbedi at the prison, may have inspired the latest attack on prison officers and are due to question him about his potential involvement
Hayward said he was under the mistaken impression that Abedi was already kept apart from all other prisoners.
He said:'I think he should be in solitary confinement, 24-7. That was my impression, which he was anyway. I think his life inside should be so horrific.
'There should be no treats, not being able to be near a kitchen. He should be in a straitjacket.'
Reflecting on the loss of his partner, Hayward told Newnight that sometimes it is 'a daily struggle sometimes to just do the most simple thing'.
He added: 'But I just try to live my life, not only for me, but for him as well, because, you know, he had his life snatched away like the other 21 that we lost that night.
'He didn't have a choice whether he lives or dies. I have a choose. So I want to try and make something of my life. for him as well as me.'
Abedi, 28, is serving life at the high-security prison after beinghanded a record 55-year minimum tariff for his role in helping his brother plot the Manchester Arena bombing which left 22 people dead.
The officers suffered burns, scalds and stab wounds when Abedi threw hot cooking oil over them before using makeshift weapons to stab them in the 'unprovoked' and 'vicious' attack, the Prison Officers' Association (POA) said.
A composite showing the 22 people killed in the Manchester Arena bombing in May 2017 whichAbedi helped to plan
Hashem (pictured posing with a gun) was in Libya at the time of the bombing, having left the UK weeks earlier. He offered no defence to the charges that he had helped his brother plan the attack on the Manchester Arena in May 2017, killing 22 people at an Ariana Grande concert
Emergency services responded in force (pictured) to the attack during the Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena
This picture shows police interviewingHashem following the horrific 2017 Manchester Arena terror attack
A source told The Sun Abedi was preparing food in a kitchen at the category A jail, dubbed 'Monster Mansion', when his terrifying rampage began.
The attacker is then said to have produced two huge homemade weapons with 20cm long blades before he started slashing at the duo as well as another officer.
One of the guards was stabbed in the neck once and another officer was stabbed five times in the back, according to the source.
Both male officer remain critically injured in hospital while the female officer has been discharged after being treated for what are believed to be third-degree burns.
Hate preacher Choudary, who is colloquially known as the 'Daddy' of the separation unit, is believed to have been in the prison's gym at the time of the assault with two other prisoners.
That meant some of the prison staff were required to watch the group, leaving less staff available at the time the assault unfolded.
Police are due to quiz Choudary about his alleged involvement in the incident, while the other prisoners will be questioned separately after being relocated to new prisons.
A source told The Sun: 'Choudary had become a leader of the unit and the younger extremists like Abedi looked up to him.
'There are suspicions that Abedi colluded with others.'
