Blackburn man shot dead in Texas was banned from Magistrates court for 9/11 comments

On September 22, 2001, the Lancashire Telegraph published a report about how Malik Faisal Akram had entered the Blackburn Magistrates building on Northgate before telling an usher he ‘wished he would have died’ on one of the New York planes which collided with the Twin Towers, killing 2,996 people.

The report states how Akram had regularly caused trouble within the court building, even when he wasn’t due before the bench.

The ban followed a warning letter sent to him in May after a previous incident when he was alleged to have threatened and abused court staff.

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At the time, Akram said: "I'm innocent. This is nothing to do with me because I didn't say that. People at the court have just got it in for me because they don't like me."

Lancashire magistrates' committee decided to exclude him from the court following the latest incident -- the day after the destruction of the World Trade Centre.

The rare Exclusion Order was made under Section 12 of the Contempt of Court Act and has only ever been used once before at Blackburn Magistrates' Court.

Akram, was also made the subject of two reports which were filed to the Lord Chancellor.

A letter from deputy justice clerk Peter Wells confirming the ban said: "Once again you were threatening and abusive towards court staff. In a clear reference to the terrorist attack on New York the previous day you said on more than one occasion to one of my court ushers 'you should have been on the ******* plane." "This caused a great deal of distress to an individual who was simply doing his job and should not be subjected to your foul abuse.

"With immediate effect it has been decided that in order to protect and ensure the health and safety of staff you should be excluded from and prohibited from entering the court building at all times other than when due to appear in court to answer a summons or surrender to bail or to make a payment in respect of any outstanding financial penalty owed by you.

"If you are found in the building for any other purpose you will be asked to leave and police assistance will be sought if necessary.

"If you are entitled to enter the building for any of the reasons outlined earlier you will be required to leave as soon as your case has been dealt with or a payment has been made, as the case may be.

"Be aware that the decision to exclude you will be enforced and any repetition of previous misbehaviour will not be tolerated."

The Lancashire Telegraph were the only news outlet to publish the report.

Two teenagers have since been arrested in Manchester after Akram flew to the US, bought a weapon and held people hostage in a 10-hour stand-off at a synagogue.

US President Joe Biden branded the incident “an act of terror” and UK police are working with authorities in America on the investigation.

On Monday, Home Secretary Priti Patel said she had spoken to her US counterpart Alejandro Mayorkas and offered “the full support” of the UK police and security services in the investigation.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) announced that officers from Counter Terror Policing North West had made two arrests in south Manchester on Sunday evening.

They said the teenagers, whose ages and genders they did not immediately confirm, remain in custody for questioning.

GMP said police forces in the region are liaising with local communities to put in place any measures to provide further reassurance.

The four hostages held at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, were unharmed.

Akram’s family said they were “absolutely devastated” by what had happened and “do not condone any of his actions”, according to a statement which had been shared on the Blackburn Muslim Community Facebook page.

The statement, attributed to Akram’s brother Gulbar who said he had been involved in negotiating from the UK with his sibling during the ordeal, added that the hostage-taker “was suffering from mental health issues”.

US officials believe Akram had a visa, arrived at John F Kennedy International Airport in New York around two weeks ago and bought a handgun used in the incident.

In an update to reporters on Sunday, Mr Biden said while he did not have all the details it was believed Akram had “got the weapons on the street”, adding: “He purchased them when he landed.”

He said there were “no bombs that we know of”, and that Akram is thought to have “spent the first night in a homeless shelter”.

Condemning what had happened, the statement from Akram’s family said: “We would like to say that we as a family do not condone any of his actions and would like to sincerely apologise wholeheartedly to all the victims involved in the unfortunate incident.”

Akram is said to have demanded the release of Pakistani neuroscientist Aafia Siddiqui, who was convicted of trying to kill US army officers in Afghanistan, and is in prison in Texas.

Speaking to reporters after the incident, FBI special agent in charge Matt DeSarno said they believed the man was “singularly focused on one issue and it was not specifically related to the Jewish community”, and added they will continue to “work to find motive”.

Confirming that the hostage-taker had died, he said there would be “an independent investigation of the shooting incident”.

He said the FBI had been in contact with their legal attache offices in London and Israel for an investigation with “global reach”.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss condemned the “act of terrorism and anti-semitism”, while the British Ambassador to the United States Karen Pierce said UK authorities are providing “full support to Texas and US law enforcement agencies”.