Woman jailed for attempted murder in Bristol

*** Issued on behalf of Counter Terrorism Policing South West ***

A woman who attacked a stranger from behind with an axe in the middle of a summer’s afternoon has received a 19-and-a-half year sentence, including a custodial term of 15-and-a-half years, for attempted murder.

At 1.30pm on Saturday 2 August, the victim had been stood outside of a barber’s shop in East Street, Bedminster, when 18-year-old Alina Burns approached him from behind before striking him in the back of the neck with an axe. She hit him again on the side of the face as he turned to look at his attacker. 

Having thankfully only suffered minor injuries, the victim managed to quickly disarm Burns and flagged down two nearby police officers.

Burns, who is white British, was arrested at the scene and was found to be in possession of an axe, a scalpel and two darts. 

Burns, of Lynton Road, Bristol, did not know her victim but detectives believe the attack was motivated by her extreme right-wing mindset.

She was initially charged on Monday, 4 August with attempted grievous bodily harm, and three counts of possession of a bladed article.

Following a review of the incident, Counter Terrorism Policing South West took the lead for the investigation on September 8, with support from Avon and Somerset Police, and Burns was further charged with attempted murder. 

At a hearing at the Central Criminal Court on Monday 19 January 2026, Burns pleaded guilty to the charges of attempted murder and three counts of possession of a bladed weapon.

The guilty pleas were accepted along with Burns’ not guilty plea to the charge of engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts.

At today’s sentencing, the judge ruled that Alina Burns’ offences did have a terrorist connection.  

Detective Superintendent Sarah Robbins, from Counter Terrorism Policing South West, said: “It is extremely fortunate that this vicious attack, which saw an innocent man have an axe swung at his neck, didn’t result in the loss of life. Thankfully the victim only suffered minor physical injuries, but I know the events of that afternoon will have a lasting psychological impact on him.

“It is our view that Burns carried out this dreadful attack because of her distorted beliefs and extreme mindset. From everything we know and the evidence we gathered, we believe she targeted the victim because she perceived him to be either an immigrant, an ethnicity which she held contempt for, or both.

“I appreciate that the details of this incident will cause understandable shock and concern in the local community. We are grateful for the support we have received from the public during this investigation, and we will continue to work closely with Avon and Somerset Police to reassure those affected, both the victim and the local community.”

Neighbourhood Policing Superintendent Deepak Kenth, from Avon and Somerset Police, said: “This is an extremely concerning case in which an 18-year-old woman has carried out a horrific attack on an innocent man in the street as a direct result of the hateful views she harboured. 

“Public safety is always a top priority and we’ve worked extremely closely with our colleagues in Counter Terrorism Policing throughout this investigation.

“While incidents of this magnitude are rare, we know the details of this case will cause understandable concern and fear in our communities. We’ll continue to provide all the reassurance we can and want to thank our community leaders for helping to inform the public about the action policing has taken to ensure a dangerous offender is brought to justice.

“United communities are the strongest antidote to hate. We’d urge anyone with concerns or suspicions about someone’s behaviour to contact the police, so we can take any necessary action.”