A HULL murderer has had his 20-year prison sentence increased after sending letter bombs to Asian solicitors from his prison cell in a race-hate campaign.
Bret Atkins, 24, who was jailed for beating Simon Ash to death in 2009, smirked and laughed as a judge at Leeds Crown Court was told how he and robber Jamie Snow, 27, made the crude explosives from crushed match heads.
They then sent them to law firms in Halifax and Nottingham from their prison cells in Full Sutton prison, near York.
Judge Rodney Jameson handed Atkins, who appeared by video link from Whitemoor prison, a seven year prison sentence after a jury found him guilty of conspiracy to send an explosive substance with intent to burn after a trial held earlier this year.
He laughed as his barrister Philippa Eastwood told the judge he had converted to Islam after arriving at Whitemoor.
His sentence will start 18 months before then end of his current sentence for Mr Ash's murder, meaning he will serve a minimum of 22 years in jail.
Atkins, formerly of Hampshire Street, west Hull, admitted killing 35-year-old Mr Ash on Millennium Bridge, near the River Humber, with Carl Marshall.
During a three-hour drink-fuelled rampage across the city, the pair, who were both aged 18 at the time, stamped and kicked Mr Ash so hard that an imprint of Atkins's shoe was left on his face.
They stole Mr Ash's boots and his phone.
Atkins' and Snow's explosive devices were intercepted before they reached their intended targets.
Judge Jameson was told the pair had a "shared racial hatred" of Asian people and had threated to kill Asian prisoners, attack the imam at Full Sutton and burn down mosques.
Jonathan Sandiford, prosecuting, told the court how prison officers heard Atkins bragging in phone calls over his deal with Snow on who could kill the prison imam first.
He was overheard saying: "Me and Snowy have got a deal - whoever gets to him first can have an ounce of Amber Leaf (tobacco)."
Mr Sandiford also said the pair daubed threats against Muslims on the walls of their cells in excrement.
But defending Atkins, Ms Eastwood said: "He had converted to Islam since he has been at HMP Whitemoor and has been a practising Muslim in the time since he had been there."
