Muslim gangster who murdered an innocent nursery school teacher in gang crossfire refuses to attend court 'for assaulting a prison guard' due to 'religious objections'

• Yassin James was convicted of murdering Sabrina Moss on August 23, 2013
• He shot dead the mother-of-one  as she celebrated her birthday in London 
• James is accused of assaulting a prison officer in HMP Belmarsh last year
• His lawyer said James cannot attend court as he cannot wash before prayer  

A Muslim gangster accused of assaulting a prison guard while serving a life sentence for murdering a nursery teacher refused to attend court today due to 'religious objections'.

Yassin James, 21, was jailed for at least 37 years for shooting dead mother-of-one Sabrina Moss as she celebrated her 24th birthday in Kilburn, northwest London.

James and fellow hitman Hassan Hussain, 31, killed Miss Moss and wounded her friend Sabrina Gachette as they sheltered from the rain in their party dresses outside a bar on 23 August 2013.

Sabrina Moss,  died after she was shot outside a bar in Kilburn, north west London on her 24th birthday along with friends by Yassin James, 21,  who wanted to murder a rival drug dealer

The pair, armed with a Mac 10 submachine gun and a sawn off shotgun, hit the women because they were standing next to the intended targets - members of the South Kilburn Gang (SKG).

Getaway driver Martell Warren, 24, was associated with the Kensal Green Boys (KGB), a gang which has been involved in a deadly tit-for-tat dispute with the SKG since 2007.

Sabrina Moss, who lived in Neasden, northwest London, and worked at Alice's Wonderland nursery in Stonebridge, had a four-year-old son.

Her family said she was 'irreplaceable'.

Hussain, James, and Warren were all sentenced to life with a minimum of 37 years imprisonment on 12 September 2014 for the murder of Sabrina Moss and the attempted murder of Sabrina Gachette.

Simon Baptiste, 31, was also jailed for four years for conspiring to cause grievous bodily harm after letting the gunmen use his house as a base for the killing.

Westminster Magistrates' Court heard James allegedly assaulted prison guard Dwain Thomas on June 20 last year while serving as a category A prisoner at HMP Belmarsh.

He was due to stand trial for assault but refused to attend after complaining that he isn't able to wash before prayers during Ramadan.

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Yassim James, who is a member of the Kensal Green Boys, was convicted of Ms Moss' murder 

Lucie Wibberley, defending, said: 'It's five times a day requirement and he is required to wash in a particular way prior to each prayer.

'What he is saying is he hasn't been given the opportunity to do that and that's what he is objecting to.'

District Judge Karim Ezzat said: 'He has got a trial date, he says I won't attend due to religious practices.

'Well he is not attending for any religious purpose.'

Judge Ezzat put the matter back to 2pm when he will decide whether to continue with the trial in his absence.

James, who is currently appealing his conviction, has now been moved to HMP Wakefield in West Yorkshire.

He denies one count of assault by beating.