Woman jailed after judge rules attack had terrorist connection

A woman has been jailed for more than 15 years for attempted murder after attacking a stranger with an axe.

18-year-old Alina Burns attacked the man from behind, outside a barber's shop in August last year.

She hit him in the back of the neck with the axe and then again on the side of his face.

The victim was able to disarm Burns and flag down some nearby police officers.

She was arrested at the scene and found to carrying an axe, a scalpel and two darts.

Detectives believe the attack was motivated by her extreme right-wing mindset.

She was initially charged on Monday, 4 August with attempted grievous bodily harm, and three counts of possession of a bladed article.

Following a review of the incident, Counter Terrorism Policing South West took the lead for the investigation on September 8, with support from Avon and Somerset Police, and Burns was further charged with attempted murder.

At a hearing at the Central Criminal Court on Monday 19 January 2026, Burns pleaded guilty to the charges of attempted murder and three counts of possession of a bladed weapon. She pleaded not guilty to the charge of engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts.

During sentencing, the judge ruled that Burn’s offences did have a terrorist connection.

Detective Superintendent Sarah Robbins, from Counter Terrorism Policing South West, said: “It is extremely fortunate that this vicious attack, which saw an innocent man have an axe swung at his neck, didn’t result in the loss of life. Thankfully the victim only suffered minor physical injuries, but I know the events of that afternoon will have a lasting psychological impact on him.

“It is our view that Burns carried out this dreadful attack because of her distorted beliefs and extreme mindset. From everything we know and the evidence we gathered, we believe she targeted the victim because she perceived him to be either an immigrant, an ethnicity which she held contempt for, or both.

“I appreciate that the details of this incident will cause understandable shock and concern in the local community. We are grateful for the support we have received from the public during this investigation, and we will continue to work closely with Avon and Somerset Police to reassure those affected, both the victim and the local community.”

Neighbourhood Policing Superintendent Deepak Kenth, from Avon and Somerset Police, said: “This is an extremely concerning case in which an 18-year-old woman has carried out a horrific attack on an innocent man in the street as a direct result of the hateful views she harboured.

“Public safety is always a top priority and we’ve worked extremely closely with our colleagues in Counter Terrorism Policing throughout this investigation.

“While incidents of this magnitude are rare, we know the details of this case will cause understandable concern and fear in our communities. We’ll continue to provide all the reassurance we can and want to thank our community leaders for helping to inform the public about the action policing has taken to ensure a dangerous offender is brought to justice.

“United communities are the strongest antidote to hate. We’d urge anyone with concerns or suspicions about someone’s behaviour to contact the police, so we can take any necessary action.”