A convicted killer shouting ‘Allah Akbar’ launched a serious assault ‘motivated by racial hate’ on a Jewish chaplain who was visiting a Cambridgeshire prison.

Police say that Joseph Gynane (41) who was serving a life sentence at HMP Whitemoor for murdering his friend and stabbing a 16-year-old boy, attacked the chaplain from behind leaving him with a broken jaw and in need of hospital treatment.

A Cambridgeshire police spokesperson said that Gynane, who had daubed the phrases ‘free Palestine’ and ‘Death to the IDF’ on his cell walls and had the highest number of assaults to his name at the jail, had shouted ‘Allah Akbar’ as he attacked the chaplain who was visiting the jail as part of a visit to support prisoners.

The attack happened on September 14 last year.

The spokesperson said: “The chaplain had been speaking to prisoners on the top floor landing of the prison when Gynane attacked him from behind at just before 2.30pm.

“Gynane punched the man to the back of the head with such force that he was knocked to the floor and continued punching him - even while being sprayed with PAVA by a prison officer.

“He eventually stopped the attack, and the chaplain was taken to a different part of the prison where he received medical treatment.”

Police say the chaplain later went to Peterborough City Hospital, where medical checks revealed he had suffered a broken jaw and a broken thumb.

The police spokesperson added: “The chaplain told officers he believed the attack was religiously motivated due to him being Jewish and wearing a black skull cap at the time.”

Police say Gynane, previously convicted of murdering his friend and stabbing a 16-year-old boy hours later in London during 2019, was moved to the prison’s segregation unit and covered his cell in graffiti, including the phrases “free Palestine” and “Death to the IDF”.

Gynane was charged with racially aggravated assault inflicting grievous bodily harm (GBH) and admitted the offence at a court hearing in March this year.

He was sentenced at Cambridge Crown Court today (May 1), where he was handed 11 years (six years plus an extended five years on licence) on top of his existing life sentence.

His life sentence holds a minimum term of 30 years, meaning Gynane will not be eligible for release until at least 2055.

Sentencing, Judge Andrew Hurst said chaplains provided support for prisoners and were “valuable, cherished and should be protected”.

He noted that Gynane converted to Islam in 2007 and it was clear he held “antisemitic, florid and ideologically disturbing” views.

Judge Hurst said Gynane had a “long record for serious violence, including stabbings” and held an “appalling record for violence within prison”, with the highest number of assaults to his name at HMP Whitemoor.

He said the attack was a “serious assault motivated by racial hatred” and noted his concern about a “very high risk of future assaults” from Gynane, who “will seek to harm innocent members of Jewish community”.

Afterwards, Detective Constable Emma Purser, who investigated, said: “Gynane was already serving a life sentence for murder, but I am pleased he has now had his sentence extended by quite some time and has faced justice for his actions - which were shocking and despicable.

“The Jewish chaplain involved in this case was providing a valuable service and no-one deserves to be attacked in this way, with such strong violence – and especially not because of their religion.

“I hope this case highlights how seriously both police and the courts take offences of this nature, and serves as a deterrent towards anyone else thinking of committing the same behaviour.”