Institutional racism in the Prison Service and Feltham Young Offender Institution contributed to the murder of Zahid Mubarek by Robert Stewart, it was alleged at the Mubarek inquiry today.
 
The Mubarek family’s counsel, Patrick O’Connor QC, told the inquiry that it was because of institutional racism that Stewart was allowed to share a cell with Mubarek despite being identified as a racist.
 
A racist letter written by Stewart was intercepted by staff at Feltham YOI before the murder took place, but the boys were not split up.
 
O’Connor said that there was no need for there to be intentions or motives behind racism and that it could be unconscious.
 
Mubarek, 19, died in hospital in March 2000 seven days after being battered with a table leg by his cellmate Robert Stewart at Feltham YOI.