Prisoner took his own life after terror order had 'substantial impact' on mental state, inquest finds

Inquest findings show that the imposition of a Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measure (TPIM) had a substantial impact on the mental state of Akhtar Uddin, who later died by suicide. Prior to his custodial sentence in February 2020 for breaching the TPIM order, Uddin had served a conviction for racially or religiously aggravated harassment. TPIMs allow authorities to impose restrictions on individuals believed by the security services to be involved in terrorism‑related activity, even when no criminal charges are brought. Measures can include electronic tagging, curfews, relocation to another part of the country, bans on internet use, financial controls and limits on associations and movement. Breaches may result in a custodial sentence. While TPIMs can now last up to five years, the maximum was two years when Uddin was first placed under one. He breached the conditions 12 times by withdrawing more money than permitted, funds the inquest heard were mostly spent on drugs. Uddin had accumulated more than 20 previous convictions, none of which were for terror‑related offences. The inquest, the first ever to examine the interaction of TPIMs with mental health, heard that Uddin believed the measure had been imposed because of reckless statements made while under the influence of drugs, although he consistently maintained he was not a terrorist. It was also understood that he had been alleged to have made verbal threats and associated with individuals regarded by MI5 as involved in violent activity. Coroner Bernard Richmond KC described Uddin as “loved and loving” but noted he was “not idiosyncratic without his troubles”, linking those difficulties to his substance use. The coroner said he would issue a report to the government concerning risks to other individuals subject to TPIM powers. When the TPIM was first imposed in January 2020, Uddin was forcibly relocated to the West Midlands after being arrested at prison gates ahead of a visit from his sister, Jasmine, who had come to meet him on release. The full grounds for placing someone on a TPIM are normally kept secret, even from the individual concerned, because they derive from MI5 intelligence. The inquest heard that Uddin feared the TPIM would be re‑imposed after his release in 2022 and that he would likely breach it again due to his drug use. Summarising its conclusions, the inquest panel stated: - “We are satisfied that the imposition of the archetypal TPIM and its unusually restrictive quality had a important interaction connected the intelligence authorities of Akhtar Uddin.” - “We are satisfied that the fearfulness of a apt reimposition of specified a restrictive TPIM, and its perchance never-ending nature, had a important interaction connected the intelligence authorities of Akhtar in prison.” - “We are satisfied, arsenic a effect of the accordant grounds that situation services were unaware of TPIM restrictions and their apt interaction connected Akhtar, determination was a nonaccomplishment to supply enactment ast