IS supporter jailed for life after plot to attack Prince George
AN Islamic State (IS) supporter who called for an attack on Prince George has been jailed for life with a minimum of 25 years.
Husnain Rashid, of Nelson, Lancashire, had maintained his innocence throughout proceedings at Woolwich Crown Court, but dramatically changed his plea at the end of the prosecution opening and admitted a string of terror offences.
The 32-year-old used a Telegram chat group to call on supporters on October 13 to target the four-year-old heir to the throne, who had started school in Battersea, south-west London, a month earlier.
He also posted suggestions of which UK football stadiums terrorists could strike following the deadly attack outside Besiktas’s ground in Turkey, and plotted to inject ice cream with poison.
Rashid, of Leonard Street, posted a photograph of the prince at the school, super-imposed with silhouettes of two masked jihad fighters.
Sentencing him, Judge An-
Terror offences: Husnain Rashid
drew Lees said: “The message was clear — you were providing the name and address of PrinceGeorge’sschool,animage of Prince George’s school and the instruction or threat that Prince George and other membersoftheroyalfamilyshouldbe viewed as potential targets.”
He added: “You provided what you regarded as inspiration for suitable targets for lone wolf terror attacks.”
Rashid admitted three counts of engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts, and was given a life sentence for each, with a minimum 25 years, and one count of encouraging terrorism. Two further charges of dissemination of a terrorist publication were laid on file.
The offences spanned from October 2016 to April this year.
Rashid ran a “prolific” Telegram channel named the Lone Mujahid where he provided an “e-toolkit for terrorism”, the prosecution had told his trial in May.
This allegedly included a recipe for the poison ricin, how to make Molotov cocktails and napalm, and a suggestion of poisoning supermarket ice creams.
His list of targets included British Army bases, shopping centres, Jewish communities and Government buildings. He also suggested that he planned to flee to Syria to fight for IS.
Judge Lees said Rashid’s plans were “indiscriminate” and made no distinction between adult and child, between members of fighting forces and civilians.
He also plotted to bring down an aircraft with lasers, the court heard. Rashid also posted a photograph of the Burmese ambassador to the UK, saying: “You know what to do”.