Streatham terror attacker Sudesh Amman wanted to ‘kill the Queen’

Terrorist Sudesh Amman wanted to kill the Queen before stabbing two people in a street attack in Streatham 10 days after his release from prison.

The 20-year-old extremist boasted about wanting to murder the Royal in HMP Belmarsh before he was freed and being the youngest terror convict in the jail.

Details on Amman’s twisted goals were spelled out in a prisoner report but he was still let out to carry out his February 2020 attack.

He stabbed Monika Luftner, a 52-year-old nursery school teacher, in the back before knifing a male passer-by in the torso before being shot dead by police

Jurors at the second day of his inquest at the Royal Courts of Justice were told the paperwork said: ‘He has been shouting different things on the wings such as ‘this place is full of non-believers’ and ‘everyone here will come under the black flag of IS’.’

He also ‘shared extreme views including a desire to kill the Queen, become a suicide bomber and join ISIS.’

The report also described how Amman abused a prison officer and smashed the observation window, as well as asking a fellow inmate to make a weapon and attack another prisoner.

He associated with Manchester Arena mastermind Hashem Abedi behind bars, while he was awaiting trial, and helped radicalise other prisoners. 

In one phone call Amman said: ‘I was a bad person, I’m not going to lie to you, I still am a bad person but Allah will forgive me, you know I’m a bad person.’

Jurors were told he was subject to a total of 30 ‘stringent licence restrictions’ following his release from prison, including sticking to agreed curfew hours and not using any internet-enabled devices without permission.

He had been serving a 40-month sentence for 13 terror offences after pleading guilty to six counts of possessing material useful for terrorism and seven counts of disseminating terrorist material online. 

Detective Chief Inspector Luke Williams from the Metropolitan Police said staff at the approved premises where Amman lived said he ‘was polite to staff and didn’t cause them concern’.

He said Amman had been provided with a Nokia 105 mobile phone which did not allow any internet capability, and had meetings with both a practical and theological mentor to assist with his return to the community.

But Mr Williams added that reports said Amman still ‘appeared proud to have been the youngest terrorist offender at Belmarsh – and didn’t seem remorseful.’

He confirmed details about Amman’s life in the build-up to his arrest for terror offences in May 2018.

Jonathan Hough QC, counsel to the inquest, said Amman’s phone was analysed following his arrest and among the thousands of lines of chat was evidence that Amman ‘talked about preferring knives over guns and making sure he targets those who don’t look like Muslims’.

Mr Hough said: ‘He talked about wanting to commit a terrorist attack and asks (his apparent girlfriend at the time) if she can order him a machete.’ 

A folder on Amman’s computer named ‘Chemistry’ included videos and instruction manuals concerning use of weapons.

Another instruction manual was described as: ‘How to make a bomb in the kitchen of your mum.’

A notebook found in Amman’s bedroom listed what were believed to be his ‘Goals for life’, which included paradise and jihad.

The inquest also heard how Amman went on holiday with a friend’s family in March 2018 during which he was seen ‘reading a book about paradise’.

He also had a conversation with the friend’s mother about ‘fighting in Syria’ – something the woman tried to discourage his interest in. 

Yesterday the inquest showed him in CCTV images setting out from his bail hostel on his way to carry out the horrendous attack.  

Amman – from Harrow – was automatically released from prison on January 23, 2020, and placed under 24-hour surveillance by police and security services. 

Just 10 days later, the terrorist ran into a shop on Streatham High Road, stole an eight-inch carving knife, and stabbed two people on a 62-second rampage while wearing a fake suicide belt.  

He stabbed Monika Luftner, a 52-year-old nursery school teacher, in the back.

He then knifed a male passer-by in the torso before being confronted by two armed surveillance officers.

Police fired six bullets and Amman was pronounced dead 90 minutes later, once explosives experts had established that the belt wrapped around his body was harmless.  

Amman was said to have been a prefect and mentor at his school before developing ‘behavioural issues’ and showing signs of ‘anger’, according to counter-terrorism police.

An inquest heard how Amman’s mother had told officers from the Met Police’s counter-terrorism unit how her son used to become angry with her, his brothers and other people while he was at school.

He also became more religious from around 2014, when he began praying in his bedroom, according to his mother.

As his behaviour worsened, Amman was later suspended three times from school, including for being under the influence of alcohol and a ‘serious weapons offence’. 

The convicted terrorist was shot by armed police as he carried out a knife attack in Streatham in January last year – 10 days after being release from prison.

It was also revealed how police were so concerned about pleaded with a prison governor not to release him because he still held ‘extremist views’ and had told an inmate he was ‘not finished with non-believers’, his inquest heard today.

However, the request to extend Amman’s custody was turned down because the earlier offence that he had committed could not justify an extension of his sentence, a senior Met officer told jurors.