Terror suspect’s girlfriend recounts 2am arrest by armed police that ended tragically because of ‘final straw’

The ex-girlfriend of a Leeds terror suspect has spoken of the night armed police stormed their home and took him away – the last time she saw him.

Benjamin David Hyland, 29, and his partner, known as ‘Lou’, heard noises at around 2am as officers entered their home in Leeds, a coroner’s court heard. She said Mr Hyland was “paranoid” and spoke of a white van driving up and down outside their home. At 2 a.m., he saw the van again and about 30 minutes later, police broke through, she said.

Read more: Leeds ‘showdown’ ends with one man dead after armed police storm home

Lou says the last time he saw Mr. Hyland, he was walking down the stairs with his hands over his head on the night of his arrest, December 2, 2022.

Mr Hyland was moved to Leeds Prison on December 9 and was found hanged in his cell on December 11. At the time of his death, he was facing 11 offenses under the Terrorism Act.

Today, a statement from Lou was heard by a grand jury inquest at Wakefield Coroners’ Court. The jury is looking into the circumstances of Mr. Hyland’s death.

Lou spoke about her ex-partner’s past and how he was taken into care aged three after being hit by a car and seriously injured after finding his way out of the family home when mother was “drunk”.

She said he was “bounced from foster home to foster home” and was never adopted. In his 20s, he had moved to Leeds and was homeless before he started getting help and found a flat in Beeston.

He and Lou went on to have a child. Lou said Mr Hyland worked on a farm but left and never worked again. She said Mr Hyland was “self-diagnosed with anxiety and depression” but had never tried to take his own life in the past.

He last saw Mr. Hyland when he was arrested. She was visited by the police on December 11, who told her she had died.

After his death, she expressed concern about how Mr Hyland, who was in custody for the first time, may have struggled to cope after being moved from police custody to HMP Leeds because ” would not be able to cope in that environment’. A relative had told her that while in prison Mr Hyland had been “very agitated”.

She said that while in police custody, Mr Hyland was “checked on every half hour”.

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Lou said Mr Hyland had been told by social services that he could not speak to their children. “I think that was the last straw for Ben,” she added.

The inquest was told that while in police custody, Mr Hyland hit his head on a door he had made out of “frustration”.

When asked why he smashed his head on the door, My Hyland told a prison officer: “Those bastards froze me – put my head in.”

A Leeds prison officer told the inquest that when Mr Hyland entered prison he appeared “very outgoing”, “very jovial” and confident in his manner.

The hearing was told that prison staff did not instigate anti-suicide/self-harm procedures, known as ACCT, because they did not believe it was necessary.

A nurse who assessed Mr Hyland at HMP Leeds said he had not “presented or indicated” any plans to end his life.

The hearing continues