Coroner told about LynnMall terrorist's time in prison's extreme risk unit

Ahamed Samsudeen spent time in the unit at Paremoremo maximum security prison, kept away from other inmates. The Coroners Court has heard about conditions inside the extreme risk unit where LynnMall attacker Ahamed Samsudeen was housed. Samsudeen was shot dead by police, ending his stabbing spree at a West Auckland mall five years ago.

A coroner's inquest is under way into his death, with parts two and three looking into the time leading up to the attack and Samsudeen's path to violent extremism. Just seven weeks before the 2021 attack that resulted in six people stabbed and another injured, Ahamed Samsudeen was released from his second stint in prison. He was first behind bars in 2017, bailed a year later, and back in prison by August 2018. During this time, Samsudeen was moved from Mt Eden Prison to Auckland's Paremoremo maximum security prison.

While there, he spent time in the prison's extreme risk unit, kept away from other prisoners. The coroner heard from the unit's principal Corrections officer at the time, who cannot be named. He was asked by the lawyer representing Samsudeen's family, Fletcher Pilditch KC, about what a day in the unit looked like.

"His yard time, so therefore the time that he spent outside, that was outside of his cell but in his personal yard?" Pilditch asked. "And at all other times he would be in his cell?" - That was also correct. The officer told Pilditch that Samsudeen and others would be served breakfast at eight in the morning, eaten in their cells on their own.

How much time they spent out of the cell would depend on what appointments the inmate had, as well as their yard time, he said. Counsel assisting the coroner, Rebekah Jordan, asked the officer how Samsudeen would spend time inside his cell. "He has a TV in his cell, he has reading material, he would use his cell-attached yard, pray, that sort of thing," he said.

Samsudeen was allowed two hours of yard time a day, one in the morning and another in the afternoon, the officer said. He also had library books and a Quran to read, as well as his own legal documents. She quoted evidence given earlier in the inquest from another prisoner in a cell near to Samsudeen, who's identity was also suppressed.

" 'The daily comments and abuse from staff and inmates did not help, we would be locked in this environment for 22 to 24 hours a day, so there was no escape from it. Staff would condone or ignore this behaviour from other prisoners'," she said. "It's not uncommon for prisoners to abuse each other," the officer said.

The officer said this kind of abuse would be addressed. "If Mr Samsudeen for example was shouting abuse, you'd encourage him to cut it out, there's not much more you can do." He did not respond to comments about abuse from staff. Jordan asked the officer about the prison programmes that would have been available for Samsudeen.