A MUSLIM terrorist, jailed for life over a plot to behead a British soldier, has defended a man accused of trying to kill prison officers with a broken pepper sauce bottle.

Parviz Khan, who was part of a terrorist cell that planned to murder a serving British Muslim, gave evidence at Newcastle Crown Court yesterday in the trial of Kevan Thakrar.

Thakrar is accused of attempting to murder two prison officers and seriously wounding another at Frankland prison in Durham in March.

The 24-year-old, who is serving a sentence for three murders, denies the attempted murder of officers Craig Wylde and Claire Lewis and wounding Neil Walker with intent and is being tried by a jury at Newcastle Crown Court.

Thakrar, who is said to suffer from post traumatic stress disorder as a result of his prison experiences, claims he lashed out at the Frankland guards because he feared they were about to attack or kill him.

He told jurors he had experienced racist abuse at the hands of prison officers while at Frankland.

Khan was called to court as a defence witness yesterday, where he backed up Thakrar’s claims of racism by prison guards.

Dressed in a long black smock with long black hair, the terrorist gave his evidence flanked by three prison guards.

Khan told jurors: “I personally suffered from racism at Frankland, from officers.

“I thought it was systemic, however, there were officers I felt were very fair and very helpful, but they were few and far between.”

During cross examination by prosecutor Tim Gittins, Khan refused to be drawn into discussing the reason why he is in prison.

Mr Gittins asked him: “Your plan, with five others, was to kidnap and behead a Muslim British soldier?”

Khan told Mr Gittins: “I have come here today to speak about the situation at Frankland, not to discuss about my case.”

Mr Gittins said Khan had been convicted of possessing manuals on how to raise a “holy war” and suggested his aim was to, in some small way, “bring down western democracy and the British state”.

Mr Gittins asked Khan if he was unhappy about being kept in a prison regime by those he opposes and if he would do “anything in his power” to undermine that regime.

Khan said he was not unhappy about being kept in a prison regime and gave no comment to the suggestion he was trying to undermine it.

He reposnded to most questions by saying: “I am a Muslim political prisoner”.

Khan was jailed for life at Leicester Crown Court in February 2008 after being convicted of terrorism offences.

The trial continues.