Edinburgh bomber 'took revenge behind bars against four prisoners' after losing photo

A man serving life for firebombing an Islamic holy building has been jailed for a further 10 years for launching a campaign of terror in prison against four sex offenders.

Thomas Connington, 36, was given an order for lifelong restriction in June 2017 for launching a Molotov cocktail at Edinburgh’s Central Mosque in September the previous year.

However, the High Court in Edinburgh heard on Thursday how Connington subjected fellow inmates at HMP Perth to a series of savage assaults between May 2021 and June 2023.

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Prosecutor Brian GIll KC told judge Lord Fairley that Connington targeted Gordon SImpson, Adam Fraser, Liam Russell and Sam Roan in the attacks.

Mr Gill told the court that Connington used a kettle containing boiling water in the attack on Simpson. He also used a razor blade attached to a toothbrush to slash his victims in the other incidents.

Defence solicitor advocate Kris Gilmartin told the court that the assault against Fraser was committed after Connington thought a photograph of his niece had been stolen from his cell by inmates serving time for sex offences.

Mr Gilmartin said: “He attached significant value to the photograph. When he was asking around as to what happened to the photograph, Mr Fraser told him that it was long gone and it was likely being used as currency by sex offenders.

“Mr Connington felt the anger build up in him and he responded by assaulting him.”

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The court then heard that Connington assaulted Fraser on August 13 2021 by striking him on the head with a toothbrush which had a razor blade attached to it. Fraser needed medical treatment after the attack.

The story emerged after Connington, who is now a prisoner of HMP Low Moss in Dunbartonshire, pleaded guilty to charges of serious assault.

The charge against Roan stated that he struck him on the neck on June 23 2023 with a razor blade and this attack placed his life in “danger”.

It is not the first time that Connington has came to the attention of the authorities.

He slashed fellow Luke Pirie on the face in Edinburgh's Saughton Prison in August 2018.

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Conington had an Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR) imposed on him in 2017 after he firebombed the city's Central Mosque in a hate crime.

He is said to have a Swastika tattoo on his chest and SS insignia on his neck.

Speaking about the attack on Pirie, Lord Pentland told Connington at the High Court in Edinburgh: "It is clear to me you are a violent and dangerous man who has no respect for the law or the values of civilised society.

"You pled guilty to carrying out a vicious attack on a fellow prisoner having armed yourself with an improvised weapon and deliberately slashed the victim across the face with it."

Lord Pentland also said Connington had "a truly dreadful" criminal record and would have been jailed for 10 years for the latest attack but for his guilty plea.

The judge ordered that the sentence imposed for the Pirie attack should start after Connington has completed the minimum period jail term imposed on him under the OLR following the petrol bombing at the Potterow mosque in September 2016.

Prosecutor Mark McGuire said Conington had a total of 49 convictions involving 76 different crimes including 14 assaults and 19 offences involving racial or religious prejudice.

Connington also launched an attack on African warlord Ahmed Al-Faq Almadhi, 44, in HMP Shotts, Lanarkshire.

He was given 20 months for slashing the inmate following a hearing at Hamilton Sheriff Court in October 2020.

Almadhi, who has links to al-Qaeda, was brought to Scotland in November 2018 after avoiding a nine year sentence in Mali through a deal with the International Criminal Court.

He pled guilty to war crimes at his trial at The Hague in 2016 after destroying holy sites in his homeland.

On that occasion, the court heard how Connington used a razor blade stuck to a piece of plastic to leave Almadhi with two 10mm lacerations to his face.

Passing sentence, Sheriff Thomas Millar said: “Having regard to the serious nature of the charge where he has armed himself and harmed another prisoner, only a consecutive sentence is appropriate."

On Thursday, Mr Gill said that Connington made admissions to jail guards following his attack on Fraser.

He said: “The accused freely admitted that he had slashed Mr Fraser and said he had done it because Mr Fraser had made a comment when several photographs of the accused’s niece had been stolen.”

Speaking about the attack on Roan, Mr Gill said that prison officers found him after becoming aware of a disturbance on the hall where he and Connington had been placed.

He added: “They found Mr Roan in a pile on the ground with blood pouring from his neck and screaming for help.”

Mr Gill said Roan received medical assistance for his injuries.

On Thursday, Mr Gilmartin told the court that there was “scant mitigation” available for his client.

On a previous occasion, the court had heard how Connington had an anti social personality disorder.

Mr Gilmartin said that his client was addressing his mental health issues.

Speaking about the attacks, Mr Gilmartin said: “They have all arisen because of conflicts - or a perception of conflicts - with fellow inmates.

"Mr Connington has always been co-operative with prison staff and fully co-operated with them following these assaults."

Lord Fairley sentenced Connington to 10 years for the attacks. He ordered that the sentence be served consecutively to the terms that he is currently serving.

Passing sentence, the judge told Connington, who observed proceedings via video link, that he would have received 15 years if he hadn't pleaded guilty.

He added: "It is quite clear that you continue to pose a risk to the public which at the present time can only be reduced by your continuing imprisonment.

"These attacks can only be seen as violent, premeditated and sadistic.”