Dad of jailed neo-Nazi teenager says she was failed

The father of a neo-Nazi teenager who was jailed for trying to behead a Kurdish barber with an axe has accused the police and mental health services of failing his daughter.

Alina Burns, 19, was sentenced to a minimum of 15 years and six months in prison last month for attempting to murder Mohammed Mahmoodi in a terrorism-motivated attack.

Luke Burns, who has made two formal complaints to Avon and Somerset Police, said he was "furious" officers had not told him about his daughter being radicalised.

The force said the service it provided had been thoroughly investigated and deemed "acceptable". It added it was assessing a complaint from the family regarding a counter-terrorism referral.

Alina Burns, who is autistic and has anorexia, was involved with Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (Camhs) when she was younger but her father claimed she was abandoned after the service decided she was "too unwell" to attend school.

"I think we just feel very guilty that this happened, that we had failed her," Luke Burns said.

"But in the back of our minds it's not just that we failed her. Everyone failed her.

"You go back to the police, you go back to Camhs, you go back to hospital education, you go back to the school, you go all the way back.

"Everyone failed her. She wanted a purpose in life, but she was denied it. She was not able to do GCSEs, she was not able to have a future. It is devastating," he continued.

The 19-year-old was radicalised by neo-Nazi extremism and had been in contact with far-right groups.

Luke Burns said this process must have happened "extremely quickly" as she only had her laptop for a "number of months".

"Before May she had expressed a few views, which were very Reform-type views, to us. But nothing more than that," he said.

"There was nothing of concern," he added.

Luke Burns said his daughter was "absolutely lovely at home" and there was "no concern at all" that she would be aggressive or violent to anybody.

"The attack was shocking and we are shocked that it happened and were just very grateful that the victim was not injured in a physical sense more than what he was," he said.

Alina Burns attacked Mahmoodi from behind with an axe as he stood outside a barber's shop in Bristol in August, wounding his neck.

The 27-year-old, who had fled Iran in 2021 to seek "asylum and safety", told Bristol Crown Court his life had changed both "physically and mentally" following the attack.

He said he experienced nightmares, was more isolated and withdrawn and his scar was a "daily reminder that he was nearly killed".

It was only after the attack that the family learned concerns had been raised about the teenager months before the incident, when she told a man on a dating app to "kill all Jews and Muslims".

Avon and Somerset Police referred the report to Counter Terrorism Policing, which concluded it did not meet the threshold for an investigation.

Luke Burns said he could have intervened and spoken with his daughter to prevent the attack if he had known about the referral.

Four months before the attempted murder, Alina Burns had been taken into custody because of fears for her welfare but she was taken home to her parents following a mental health assessment.

Her father said there should have been a care plan in place and she should not have "just been brought home".

He has complained to the police regarding this release from custody as well as the referral to counter-terrorism policing.

A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset Police said a thorough investigation had been carried out.

"It was determined that advice was sought from mental health professionals, appropriate safeguarding risk assessments were completed and all relevant policies and procedures were followed," they said.

Counter Terrorism Policing South West confirmed it assessed the messages Alina Burns sent and it was decided "no further action" would be taken.

"Since the awful attack on 2 August, we have conducted a thorough review of the decision-making related to those messages and learning has been identified," a spokesperson added.

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