Hashem Abedi, the man behind the Manchester Arena bombing plot, has refused to appear in court to face charges related to an alleged attack on prison guards. The 28-year-old is charged with three counts of attempted murder following an incident at HMP Frankland in County Durham on April 12, where four prison officers were injured.

Abedi is also facing charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and unauthorised possession of a knife or offensive weapon. The attack reportedly involved Abedi throwing hot oil and using improvised weapons against the officers, resulting in three of them being hospitalised with serious injuries.

He was scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday morning but did not attend the hearing. Abedi is currently serving a minimum of 55 years in prison after being convicted in 2020 of 22 counts of murder, attempted murder, and conspiracy to cause an explosion in connection with the Manchester Arena bombing on May 22, 2017. His brother, Salman Abedi, carried out the bombing, which resulted in 22 fatalities.

During his previous trial, evidence revealed that Hashem Abedi had played a significant role in planning the attack. He was found to have persuaded acquaintances to buy chemicals for explosives, sourced materials for bomb prototypes, and purchased a vehicle to store bomb components while he and his brother were in Libya. Witnesses testified that the brothers had developed an extremist mindset, with one stating that Hashem 'believed in terrorism.'

The court proceedings regarding the recent charges against Abedi are ongoing.