Sudesh Amman, the Streatham terror attacker, was released from prison just last week, having only served half of a three year sentence for terror offences.
Amman, 20, was under active police surveillance when he stabbed a number of people in Streatham High Road in south London on Sunday afternoon.
While wearing a hoax bomb device, Amman had entered a shop and began stabbing people, then exited and stabbed another woman. Witnesses reported hearing three gunshots at around 2PM, when Amman was shot dead by armed police. Three people were treated for injuries at the scene, with all taken to hospital, the London Ambulance Service said.
Amman was released just last week, after being convicted in November 2018 on six charges of “possessing documents containing terrorist information” and seven charges of “disseminating terrorist publications.”
He was sentenced to three years and four months, but was released after only serving half of his sentence. The BBC’s Daniel de Simone was present at his sentencing, and recalled “Amman smiling as he was sentenced.”
Amman was first arrested in May 2018 on suspicion of planning a terror attack. He had posted images on Telegram of knives and firearms on a Shahada flag, with “armed and ready April 3” written in Arabic.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said his thoughts were “with the injured and all those affected.”
Thank you to all emergency services responding to the incident in Streatham, which the police have now declared as terrorism-related. My thoughts are with the injured and all those affected.
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) February 2, 2020
In a statement, Johnson paid tribute to the “speed and bravery of the police,” and said that new measures would be introduced following the attack in Streatham:
I want to pay tribute to the speed and bravery of the police who responded and confronted the attacker – preventing further injuries and violence – and all of the emergency services who came to the aid of others. An investigation is taking place at pace to establish the full facts of what happened, and the Government will provide all necessary support to the police and security services as this work goes on. Following the awful events at Fishmonger’s Hall in December, we have moved quickly to introduce a package of measures to strengthen every element of our response to terrorism – including longer prison sentences and more money for the police. Tomorrow, we will announce further plans for fundamental changes to the system for dealing with those convicted of terror offences.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said that Amman had “some clear history in relation to counter-terrorism offences.” It is “right that these individuals are kept behind bars and we need to stop their early release from prison,” she continued.
Streatham High Road remains cordoned off, and the police are conducting enhanced patrols in the area.
