A MAN jailed for life for planning to bomb a railway line has appeared at a Worcester court for an unprovoked attack on a prison officer.

Zahid Hussain, formerly of Birmingham, was given the life sentence in October 2017 after being convicted of preparing an act of terrorism, to bomb the line with a device made from fairy lights and a pressure cooker.

At Worcester Magistrates Court yesterday the 33-year-old, who appeared on videolink from Ashworth Hospital in Liverpool, admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm of prison officer Harry Powis at HMP Long Lartin prison, near Evesham, in August 2019.

Melanie Winterflood, prosecuting, said: “The incident took place when Hussain was a prisoner at Long Lartin.

"Mr Powis was sat by the servery (of a food area) on the ground floor and that day was assisting with the serving of food.

"He can’t remember much. He felt a strong blow to the left side of his face.

“He was knocked out, it was an unprovoked punch. Mr Powis received hospital treatment and was diagnosed with concussion.

“He had swelling to his head, was bleeding from his mouth, and lost part of one of his teeth, and pain to his ribs.

“The incident was captured (on CCTV). What in essence it shows is Mr Hussain coming down the stairs, and when he gets to the bottom he runs to Mr Powis, and punches him straight to the head.

“Mr Powis gets up but falls down, and then Mr Hussain kicks Mr Powis to the side.”

John Weate, defending Hussain, explained that at the time Hussain was sentenced for the terrorism act, Birmingham Crown Court had not had a report from consultants indicating that he was suffering from a mental illness that required treatment.

Mr Wheat said if they had he would only have been transferred from hospital to the prison system to serve the life sentence, when he well enough to do so.

“It appears he wasn’t transferred to the hospital until February 2020,” Mr Weate said.

“Undoubtedly he would have been ill (at the time of the ABH offence).”

After lengthily deliberations, the magistrates bench returned and chairman of the magistrates bench, Kevin Lloyd-Wright, said they had balanced the aggravating factors, that a weapon - a shoe on the foot - was used and the prison officer had been on duty, and the mitigating factors, primarily Hussain’s mental health.

They handed Hussain 26 weeks custody to be served concurrently with his life sentence. No costs or compensation was ordered, but magistrates ordered a further’s days detention in place of paying a victim surcharge.