Streatham attack latest: knifeman named as Sudesh Amman who previously had terror conviction

From the Telegraph

The Telegraph understands the attacker was a convicted terrorist called Sudesh Amman. He was jailed in 2018 after admitting 13 terror offences and was described by police as “knife obsessed”.

He was released halfway through his prison sentence. 

He sent beheadings videos to his girlfriend and advised her to kill her “kuffar” parents. Amman told her: “If you can’t make a bomb because family, friends or spies are watching or suspecting you, take a knife, molotov, sound bombs or a car at night and attack the tourists (crusaders), police and soldiers of taghut, or western embassies in every country you are in this planet.”

Amman was also found with a bomb-making manual.

Whitehall sources told The Telegraph’s Charles Hymas: “He had been very recently released from prison. He had been in prison for a terrorist offence, possession and distribution of extremist material. He came out towards the end of January. He was under very strict licence terms. He was also under surveillance and that is what allowed the police to do their job so quickly. It meant that it could have been worse than it was had he not been under this surveillance.

“There were concerns about this individual when he was in prison – around things he was saying – but there were no powers available to any of the authorities to keep him behind bars.  He had reached the automatic halfway point, halfway release point in his sentence and there was nothing that could be done to keep him locked behind bars.”

Government sources confirmed that this would now be reviewed with the prospect of tougher sentencing for terrorists who might not be directly involved in plots.

The source added: “This is why there need to be changes brought forward because the public will look at this case and say: ‘Why was this individual not kept not kept behind bars?’ The PM shares that view.”

Boris Johnson has said he will announce plans on Monday for “fundamental changes to the system for dealing with those convicted of terrorism offences” following the terror-related incident in south London.