A prisoner jailed for seriously injuring a baby has been left with severe injuries, including a testicle that may need to be surgically removed, after being attacked by four inmates inside a high-security prison.
Qasim Afzal was assaulted at HMP Berwyn near Wrexham in February 2024 when four fellow prisoners entered his cell and carried out a sustained attack. Caernarfon Crown Court heard he was punched, kicked and stamped on during the incident, which lasted just under a minute.
Prosecutor Oliver King told the court: “He had no escape,” as the group carried out the assault inside the confined space of the cell.
The attack was described by Judge Timothy Petts as planned, with the intention of punishing Afzal and sending a message to others. One of the defendants, Zayn Abu-Manahim, filmed the incident on a mobile phone, with the footage intended to be shared on WhatsApp.
Judge Petts said: “It is clear the four of you went into his cell, that this was planned and there was a plan to film it and share it on WhatsApp. This was clearly planned as a punishment to him and serve as an example to others.”
The court heard that Afzal had been given an improvised weapon beforehand in case he needed to defend himself, but was unable to prevent the attack.
The injuries he suffered were described as severe. The judge said: “The most serious came from a stamp to his right testicle, which has effectively died and is likely to need surgical removal.”
The four attackers – Zayn Abu-Manahim, Zaheer Hussain, Farhar Khan and Russell Lloyd – all admitted causing grievous bodily harm without intent.
Details of their criminal histories were also outlined in court. Abu-Manahim had 53 convictions for 85 offences, including robbery, affray and assaulting an emergency worker. Hussain had 16 convictions for 33 offences, including wounding with intent and possession of a blade. Lloyd had 21 convictions for 39 offences, including robbery and making threats to kill, while Khan had four convictions linked to drugs offences.
Judge Petts said the act of filming the attack did not lessen responsibility, adding that those involved shared equal culpability for what took place.
All four men were sentenced to an additional two and a half years in prison, to be served consecutively to their current sentences, extending the time they will spend in custody and delaying their earliest possible release dates.
Afzal had originally been jailed for offences relating to the serious injury of a four-month-old baby, the court was told.
