Steven Sansom, 47, and Adam Watson, 39, have pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder of Urfan Sharif. Mr Sharif is currently serving a life sentence for the murder of his 10-year-old daughter, Sara Sharif.
The charges follow an alleged attack at Belmarsh Prison on 1 January 2025, which reportedly left Mr Sharif with cuts to his face. Mr Sansom and Mr Watson appeared at the Old Bailey via video link from HMP Wakefield on Wednesday.
Prosecutors claim Mr Sansom invited Mr Sharif into a cell where Mr Watson was waiting. Mr Watson allegedly punched Mr Sharif repeatedly before Mr Sansom applied pressure to his throat. It is further claimed Mr Watson passed an object to Mr Sansom, which was used to make cutting motions to Mr Sharif's throat.
The two men also deny wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and unauthorised possession of two weapons: a tin lid and a pen attached to a handle. Judge Lynn Tayton KC has scheduled a two-week trial for 19 July 2027, with a pre-trial hearing set for June.