The angelic toddler who became a Muslim terrorist: Full story of how teen became a ‘stone-cold psychopath’ convert who now ‘won’t stop until he kills’ and has stabbed TEN prison officers

In the space of a decade, Nathan Ruth went from tousle-haired toddler to teen terrorist.

And while few will recognise his name, among those tasked with guarding him in jail the 18-year-old already has a fearsome reputation.

In the three years since he was first detained for terrorism offences, the Muslim convert is said to have attacked no fewer than ten prison officers and staff. Weapons used include improvised blades or ‘shanks’ fashioned from anything he could lay his hands on – an old toothbrush, the shards of a DVD, a smashed plastic jug and a broken toilet seat.

One guard was stabbed in the neck, another almost had an ear sliced from the side of his head.

‘Most lads you can see when they are becoming violent, something sets them off and you see the warning signs,’ a prison source told the Mail. ‘With Nathan you could be helping him fill in his menu sheet and – bang – he would pull out a shank and stab you. His unpredictability made him so dangerous.’

Of course, in recent weeks the way in which dangerous prisoners are treated while being held behind bars has dominated the headlines.

In April, Manchester Arena bomb plotter Hashem Abedi violently attacked three prison officers at HMP Frankland.

Despite serving a 55-year sentence and being held in the Co Durham jail’s Separation Centre – a prison within a prison designed to prevent inmates who have refused attempts to deradicalise from spreading their toxic message to others – he was able to target staff with hot cooking oil and homemade weapons taken from a kitchen he had access to.

Nathan Ruth went from tousle-haired toddler, pictured, to a teen terrorist 

The knife found in Nathan Ruth’s bag when he was arrested in 2022

Then, last month, a guard at HMP Belmarsh in South London was attacked by Southport child killer Axel Rudakubana, who doused an officer with boiling water from a kettle in his cell.

Following both incidents politicians, victims and prison staff questioned how on earth some of the most dangerous men in the prison estate could have access to items that could be used to kill and maim. Now Ruth’s name can be added to the list of those whom the authorities would appear more keen to appease than punish.

Because today, for the first time, the Mail can tell the full story of how the ‘stone-cold psychopath’ has been mollycoddled by the authorities and, as our exclusive pictures reveal, how he transformed from a smiling young boy to a disturbed and highly dangerous teen.

Jailed for seven years last year for planning an ISIS-inspired attack on the Isle of Wight Festival, he could not be named because of his age. But a fortnight ago he turned 18, meaning his identity can now be revealed – along with concerns about his treatment while in custody.

Because while Ruth was prosecuted for attacking staff, incredibly, he received no extra jail time for the assaults.

Instead, a judge decided he needed to see ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ – ordering him to undergo classes and training to better understand his offending.

Sources say that while he was at Feltham Young Offenders Institute, Ruth attempted to radicalise other inmates, scrawling ‘death to all infidels’ on the wall of his cell.

Despite such behaviour he was allowed privileges such as a single cell and access to a TV and use of an Xbox for ‘therapeutic’ reasons.

The stage of the Isle of Wight music festival. Ruth was convicted of plotting an attack at the event

Now, in a move that has shocked those familiar with his behaviour, Ruth has been transferred to an NHS mental health unit where he can enjoy boardgames and film nights. Conveniently, it is located in Hampshire – nearer to his mother, who regularly visits.

‘He has stabbed so many officers while in Feltham and openly boasts to staff that we will see him on the news one day,’ the source said.

‘We can’t believe they have let him go. He has 100 per cent manipulated the system to get himself sent somewhere more comfortable.’

The source added: ‘Feltham is the most dangerous prison in the country, but even by Feltham’s standards Nathan was among the most dangerous we have ever had.

‘He constantly assaulted us, but there was never any punishment – staff couldn’t understand it.

‘They [the authorities] don’t believe in punishment – they just believe all violent behaviour is to do with past trauma. They don’t think these boys are just evil.

‘He will not stop until he has killed someone. Staff at that place do not know what they are letting themselves in for.’

The eldest of three brothers, Ruth was born in Plymouth. Soon afterwards, the family relocated to a rented three-bed home in East Cowes on the Isle of Wight.

There his father ran his own design company working as a draughtsman. Neighbours recall seeing the siblings playing with one another outside. ‘They were such a happy family,’ said one. ‘I would see them going out on a Saturday and think, “what a lovely family”.’

Then, at the age of five, Ruth was diagnosed with autism. ‘He used to have meltdowns,’ the neighbour added. ‘You’d hear it – he just had outbursts of anger.’

Described as ‘bright and articulate’, initially Ruth attended the local school.

But, aged ten, his father committed suicide, something that had a ‘shattering impact’ on the family and which Ruth struggled to come to terms with. He became withdrawn and was referred by the council to specialist education providers who laid on intensive one-to-one tutoring and mentoring.

During this time staff began to notice Ruth’s developing interest in the Muslim faith, culminating in him converting to Islam in the autumn of 2021, aged just 14.

Initially his mother and teachers thought it was having a positive impact on him. But his views quickly became extreme. The teenager announced he did not want anything more to do with women, meaning he had to be provided with taxis to attend the educational unit because he refused to travel by bus.

He also revealed he was a member of an online anti-gay group chat for Muslims, telling a tutor: ‘Allah said all gays should be dropped from a great height, which is why they are often dropped from car parks.’

At the same time a background picture of Osama Bin Laden was spotted on his phone.

Staff did consider referring Nathan to the Prevent programme to get assistance regarding his views – but when the teenager became aware of this he was enraged and no referral was made. Instead, sessions were arranged with a local imam.

Chatting to followers on Instagram, Ruth made it clear that he held no truck with that, writing that ‘some so-called Muslim’ was coming to talk to him about ‘anti-terrorism’, adding: ‘As if I’m gonna listen.’

Online, his activities were even more disturbing.

From October 2021, he was sharing videos showing beheadings by ISIS on Instagram. Other messages stated that he wanted to go to Iraq and to bomb the UK.

Between February and May 2022, he looked up terms including the ‘ISIS Paris Attacks’, ‘Charlie Hebdo attack’ and ‘Jihadi John’, the ISIS executioner.

Some of his messages were so extreme other users online warned him to be careful.

Ruth responded, saying he would be fine and that ‘even if I do get caught I’m 15 they will just tell me off and put me on some prevention course – trust me’.

In the end it didn’t turn out quite like that. In July 2022, the FBI alerted British anti-terror police after monitoring a chat group called Caliphate Survivalists on the messaging app Discord. In the chat a user, identified as Ruth, appeared to be planning an imminent attack.

Police swooped on the special school on the same day, arresting Ruth who promptly told them: ‘I have got a knife in my bag but it’s not got anything to do with anything.’ As well as the stainless steel weapon, a number of handwritten notes were also found.

A number of handwritten notes by Ruth were found. One was titled ‘To My Family’ and stated that if anything ‘happened’ it was ‘fuelled by my hatred to the kuffar [non-believers]’

One titled ‘To My Family’ stated that if anything ‘happened’ it was ‘fuelled by my hatred to the kuffar [non-believers]’.

Searches of Ruth’s electronic devices and messages revealed previous, unrealised plans to target the Isle of Wight Festival, which takes place in June each year and is attended by 55,000 people. He had searched for knives and stab vests online before researching pick-up trucks and security at the festival.

But he abandoned the plot after he was unable to get hold of a vehicle and instead decided to target two of his tutors, whom he believed had insulted Islam.

A note on a torn-off piece of card found in his bag stated: ‘Did you think you could commit major sins such as eating pork. We see ur aggression. Stay away from the Muslims unless you want your throat sliced.’

Following a trial at Kingston Crown Court, Ruth was convicted of three charges of disseminating terrorist publications, engaging in conduct in the preparation of terrorist acts and possession of a knife. Last April he was jailed for seven years, although the judge said he would have got double the sentence had he been an adult.

In his defence, Ruth claimed he had never intended to harm anyone and that his behaviour had been ‘childish’ and that he was simply showing off.

But his conduct since then belies those claims.

Between his arrest and his sentencing a year ago, he was involved in 18 separate offences of attacking staff and using makeshift weapons. This involved ‘planned and targeted’ attacks on staff at a secure children’s home and then at Feltham.

One of the attacks using a piece of sharpened plastic is said to have happened on the day he arrived at Feltham.

‘He asked a guard if he was Muslim and when he said ‘no’, stabbed him,’ said the source. ‘Nathan was a very skinny boy, very physically unintimidating.

‘He was not a typical prisoner and physically no issue. But he was an expert weapon maker – and you never knew when he was going to pull one out.’

Having admitted four counts of common assault, six counts of assault on an emergency worker and eight counts of possession of an offensive weapon he was given a 12-month detention and training order to run alongside his sentence. The judge in the case told him: ‘Welfare dictates that I give you some light at the end of the tunnel – in other words, some focus in rehabilitation.’

Earlier this week the Mail revealed that Ruth had now been moved to Bluebird House mental health facility in Hampshire.

The centre’s website states that staff provide ‘a friendly, welcoming and therapeutic environment for our young people’.

The unit’s three wards care for up to 20 and include a relaxation room, sports hall, games room, fitness suite and all-weather sports area. Patients are provided with their own ‘homely and comfortable’ bedroom with an en-suite.

The source said that once it had been decided that Feltham was detrimental to Ruth’s health, he began boasting about his luxurious new quarters and how the facility would be easier to escape from. ‘He played the psychologists and therapists in the prison like a fiddle,’ he said.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said that steps were being taken in Young Offender Institutions to safeguard staff, including the roll-out of pepper sprays to staff.

He added: ‘Prisoners can be transferred for treatment in mental health hospitals, based on assessments by expert clinicians, but will return to prison once they are fit to do so.

‘We do not tolerate violence against our hard-working staff and will always push for the strongest possible punishments for those who break the rules.’