A convicted double murderer has been awarded £7,500 in compensation, with taxpayers also liable for more than £234,000 in legal costs, after the UK High Court ruled that his treatment in prison breached his human rights.
The payout was confirmed in correspondence from Justice Secretary David Lammy to Conservative shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick, details of which were reported by The Daily Telegraph.
The case involves Fuad Awale, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in January 2013 for the execution-style killing of two teenagers in Milton Keynes in 2011. Awale, then 25, shot Abdi Farah, 19, and Amin Ahmed Ismail, 18, in the head during a dispute linked to drugs. He was given a minimum term of 38 years.
Several years later, Awale received an additional six-year sentence after threatening to kill a prison officer during a violent incident while in custody.
Close supervision and isolation
Following a hostage-taking incident in 2013, Awale was transferred to a Close Supervision Centre (CSC) — a highly restrictive unit used for prisoners considered to pose extreme risks to staff, other inmates, or national security.
The court heard that Awale and another prisoner ambushed a prison officer, threatened to kill him, and made demands linked to extremist causes, including the release of radical cleric Abu Qatada. Prison assessments later concluded that Awale “held extremist beliefs.”
While held within the CSC system, Awale was denied contact with other prisoners. Authorities argued this was necessary due to serious security concerns, including risks linked to extremist radicalisation and the presence of hostile prison gangs.
At one point, Awale requested permission to associate with one of the killers of British soldier Fusilier Lee Rigby. That request was rejected on counter-terrorism grounds.
By March 2023, Awale had been unable to associate with any other prisoners for an extended period. His legal team argued that the prolonged isolation had caused significant harm to his mental health.
High Court ruling
In a judgment delivered in September 2024, the High Court ruled that Awale’s treatment breached Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects the right to private and family life.
Mrs Justice Ellenbogen concluded that the restrictions imposed on Awale went beyond what was justified, stating that the level of interference with his private life was of “significance and duration.” The court awarded him £7,500 in damages and ordered that more than £234,000 in legal costs be paid from public funds.
The ruling prompted strong political reaction when it was later raised in Parliament.
Political reaction
Robert Jenrick condemned both the outcome and the legal framework that enabled it.
“It’s a sick joke that taxpayers are handing this man £7,500 in compensation and footing a legal bill of over £230,000,” he told The Telegraph.
“This is a double murderer and extremist who took a prison officer hostage.”
He argued that the European Convention on Human Rights was being used to prioritise the rights of dangerous offenders over the safety of prison staff and the public, and called for urgent legislative changes to remove certain offenders from its scope.
Jenrick also questioned whether David Lammy should personally bear responsibility for the compensation if he intended to comply with the ruling, accusing the government of putting international legal obligations above the interests of British citizens.
Lammy rejected claims that the government was capitulating to prisoners but acknowledged concerns about the implications of the judgment. In his letter to Jenrick dated 29 December, he disclosed that the £7,500 payment “constitutes only a modest proportion of the overall settlement.”
“This payment was mandated following a court judgment against the department, after we defended the claim in line with the long-established policy of contesting all litigation brought by prisoners convicted of terrorist offences,” Lammy wrote.
He added that the government would not be intimidated by legal challenges from prisoners and stressed that separation centres remain a vital tool for protecting the public and prison staff.
“When dangerous radicalisers pose a risk, they will be placed in one,” he said.
While reaffirming the government’s commitment to the European Convention on Human Rights, Lammy also signalled that its application would continue to be reviewed.
“Commitment does not mean complacency,” he said. “We must keep under review whether the application of the convention is acting as a barrier to protecting national security.”
