Numerous Investigations

The danger that Stewart posed had been known by the Prison Service for a considerable period. He was an exceedingly volatile and dangerous individual. Had proper procedures been followed, his virulent racism would have been clearly identified and acted upon by those whose duty it was to monitor Stewart in custody and protect Zahid.

At the same time as the criminal trial, a Prison Service internal investigation led by retired Governor, Ted Butt, was also taking place. Whilst many of Feltham’s failings were of wider consequence, they also raised increasing questions for the family of Zahid Mubarek.

The Mubarek Family, from the start, has devoted itself to uncovering the true nature of the malpractices and failings that plagued the prison system in this case, so that lessons are learnt and other young men like Zahid can be protected in the future. The Family spent four years spearheading a long and arduous campaign, seeking answers to these questions and forcing the Government to hold a Public Inquiry into Zahid’s murder. The aim of the Inquiry was to show that Zahid’s death was not simply attributable to Stewart’s murderous behaviour. The Inquiry went on to expose those failings in the Prison Service that allowed a vulnerable Asian teenager to spend six weeks in a cell with a known racist.

Public Inquiry

In June 2006, the chair of the Inquiry, Justice Keith, released his report, which was a damning indictment of the authorities and described how they had failed to keep Zahid safe.

Read the Zahid Mubarek Inquiry report

On concluding the report, Justice Keith said that he was ‘shocked and dismayed’ by what he found, including a ‘pernicious and dangerous cocktail of poor communication and shoddy work practices’ and concluded that Zahid’s death was ‘entirely preventable’.

The Prison Service’s own inquiry into Feltham found that it was institutionally racist, a fact reiterated by the then Director General of Prisons, Martin Narey.

The overall failings which allowed Zahid’s death to occur were so grave and widespread that the family counsel deemed the racist murder of Zahid Mubarek no less than ‘Institutional Murder’.

88 recommendations were made in the Keith Report. The Home Office unequivocally accepted 55 of the Keith Recommendations, the remaining recommendations were either under further consideration or were rejected.

A detailed and complete background information can be found here:

Detailed and complete background information

For the history of the events surrounding the death of Zahid Mubarek visit:

chronology of events leading to Zahids death