Inquest Finds Terror Control Order Had 'Substantial Impact' on Prisoner Who Died in Wandsworth

A jury at an inquest has concluded that strict terrorism control measures imposed on a prisoner had a "substantial impact" on his mental state before he took his own life in HMP Wandsworth on Christmas Day 2021.

Akhtar Uddin, a 35-year-old builder from east London, died while serving a sentence for breaching a Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measure (TPIM). The inquest, held at Inner West London Coroner's Court, was the first ever to examine the impact of such measures, which allow the government to restrict individuals it suspects of involvement in terrorism without bringing criminal charges.

The jury found that the original TPIM imposed on Uddin, and its "unusually restrictive nature", significantly affected his mental health. Jurors also concluded that his fear of the order being re-imposed after his release, and the possibility that it could continue indefinitely, had a "significant impact" on his state of mind while he was in prison.

In addition, the jury determined that prison staff failed to provide support tailored to Uddin's specific needs. They found that the prison service was consistently unaware of TPIM restrictions and their likely effect on him. A governor at HMP Wandsworth acknowledged in evidence that this lack of knowledge had led to treatment of Uddin that was "unintentionally cruel".

The jury concluded that Uddin died as a result of an action he took, but said it was "not possible to determine whether he intended the outcome to be his death".

TPIMs enable authorities to control people the government believes are involved in terrorism but who are not facing criminal charges. The home secretary imposes them on the advice of MI5. Subjects can be required to wear an electronic tag, observe curfews, relocate to another part of the country, refrain from using the internet, submit to financial controls, and accept limits on whom they meet and where they go. Breaching a TPIM can lead to a terrorism conviction and imprisonment. When Uddin was under one, TPIMs could last a maximum of two years; that has since been extended to five years.

Uddin was jailed in February 2020 for breaching the order. He had previously served a sentence for racially or religiously aggravated harassment. The inquest heard that he breached the measures 12 times by withdrawing more money than he was permitted, and that he largely spent the money on drugs. He had more than 20 previous criminal convictions, none of them for terrorism offences.

When the TPIM was first imposed on Uddin in January 2020, he was forcibly relocated to the West Midlands. He had been arrested at the prison gates in front of his sister, who had come to meet him on his release.

The full reasons for a person being placed on a TPIM are typically kept secret, even from the individual concerned, because they are based on MI5 intelligence. The inquest heard that Uddin believed the order had originally been imposed because he made reckless statements while under the influence of drugs, but he insisted he was not a terrorist. It is understood he was alleged to have made verbal threats and to have associated with people MI5 regarded as involved in terrorist activity.

Coroner Bernard Richmond KC described Uddin as "loved and loving" but said he was "not someone without his troubles", which revolved around his drug use. The coroner said he would issue a report to the government over concerns about risks to other people subject to terrorism control measures.

The inquest heard that Uddin feared the TPIM would be re-imposed when he left prison early in 2022, and that he would breach it again because of drugs. Giving evidence, his sister Jasmine said that in the weeks before his death he had described "counter terrorism officers" questioning him in prison and telling him he would never get off the TPIM.

His former solicitor, Amer Ahmad, had told Uddin in autumn 2021 that there were "highly limited prospects" of successfully overturning the TPIM legally, the inquest heard.

Dr Richard Latham, an NHS consultant forensic psychiatrist who appeared as an expert witness for the coroner, concluded that Uddin had an undiagnosed personality disorder along with associated psychological problems and vulnerabilities. These resulted in impulsiveness, grievance and paranoia, he said. Dr Latham told the court that Uddin probably assumed the worst about the TPIM in future, and that this prospect would have created distress and a sense of hopelessness. He added that TPIMs are intended to create a "degree of isolation", but that this plays on psychological vulnerability and can produce "emotional isolation". Uddin also "felt a sense of injustice" at being branded a terrorist, Dr Latham said.

The inquest heard that there was little or no awareness of TPIMs among staff at HMP Wandsworth.

A statement from Uddin's family, issued through their solicitors Birnberg Peirce, said they welcomed the inquest's findings. "Although nothing can bring back their loving son, brother and uncle, they hope that this will make a real difference to those who are currently at the mercy of this inhumane regime," the statement said.

The case highlights long-standing concerns about the transparency and psychological toll of terrorism control measures, which are imposed on the basis of secret intelligence and can leave subjects isolated without knowing the full case against them. The coroner's forthcoming report is expected to press the government on how such risks are managed for others under TPIMs.