The father of 19-year-old Alina Burns has accused police and mental health services of failing to spot and act on his daughter's radicalisation before she carried out a terrorism‑motivated axe attack in Bristol.
Luke Burns has made two formal complaints to the police [PA Media]
Case and Sentence
Burns was sentenced last month to a minimum term of 15 years and six months after admitting the attempted murder of barber Mohammed Mahmoodi. The attack in August left the 27-year-old with a neck wound; Mahmoodi — who fled Iran in 2021 seeking asylum — told Bristol Crown Court the attack has affected him physically and mentally, causing nightmares, isolation and a permanent scar.
Alina Burns approached her victim from behind and swung an axe at his neck [Counter Terrorism Police]
Family Concerns and Complaints
Luke Burns has submitted two formal complaints to Avon and Somerset Police. He said he was "furious" the family had not been told about his daughter's radicalisation earlier, and believes multiple agencies could have intervened. "We feel very guilty that this happened — that we had failed her. But in the back of our minds it's not just that we failed her. Everyone failed her," he said.
Alina Burns was arrested by police officers who were nearby at the time of the attack [Counter Terrorism Police]
"She wanted a purpose in life, but she was denied it. She was not able to do GCSEs, she was not able to have a future. It is devastating," Luke Burns added.
Mental Health History
Burns, who is autistic and has anorexia, had contact with Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) when she was younger. Her father says the family felt she was effectively abandoned after CAMHS decided she was "too unwell" to attend school. Four months before the attack she was detained on welfare grounds and later returned home after a mental health assessment; her father says a care plan should have been put in place.
Radicalisation And Referral
Court material shows Burns was radicalised by neo‑Nazi ideology and had communicated with far‑right groups. Her father says the change happened "extremely quickly" after she obtained a laptop. Months before the attack, Burns sent extremist messages on a dating app telling a man to "kill all Jews and Muslims." Avon and Somerset Police referred that report to Counter Terrorism Policing, which initially concluded the messages did not meet the threshold for further investigation.
Reviews, Findings And Next Steps
Avon and Somerset Police say an internal review found that advice was sought from mental health professionals, appropriate safeguarding risk assessments were completed and relevant policies were followed. Counter Terrorism Policing South West confirmed it assessed the messages and initially took no further action, but said it has since conducted a thorough review of its decision‑making and identified lessons to be learned.
The family's complaints are being assessed by the force. Luke Burns says had the family been informed about the counter‑terror referral, he could have tried to intervene and perhaps prevented the attack.
