Elton terror bomb plotter jailed for life
Snared by MI5 in bid for gun & bomb His brother jailed over beheading plan
AN ISIS disciple who plotted to nail bomb an Elton John concert on a 9/11 anniversary has been jailed for life.
Haroon Syed, 19, applied for loans as he tried to order a machine gun and suicide vest.
He was influenced by jailed preacher Anjem Choudary after the arrest of his older brother over another plot. London Bridge terrorist Khuram Butt was also among his followers.
Syed, of Hounslow, West London, had admitted preparation of terrorist acts last year, after he was snared online by an officer from MI5 posing as “Abu Yusuf ”, a fellow extremist.
The Old Bailey heard Syed researched targets including last year’s Elton John Hyde Park gig on the 15th anniversary of 9/11, attended by 50,000 people.
Judge Michael Topolski QC told the Old Bailey: “Overall you were, and remained intent upon and committed to, carrying out an act of mass murder. You were not lured, enticed, or entrapped.”
BARBARIC
Syed was “deeply committed to a brutal and barbaric organisation’s ideology”, he added.
Key evidence came from Syed’s chat with Abu Yusuf via mobile phone and social media.
Syed asked for “gear” for his “opp” and said he needed a machine gun and explosive vest “so after some damage with machine gun, do martyrdom”.
He urged the MI5 officer to get weapons for free as he was denied £8,000 in loans.
In defence, Syed was said to be “vulnerable due to family history, violent video game addiction and his brother’s jailing”.
An expert said Syed should have been referred to the government Prevent programme.
Alyas Karmani said: “I understand it didn’t occur.”
Syed was given a discretionary life sentence with a minimum 16-and-a-half years.
Last June Syed’s brother Nadir, 23, was jailed for life with a minimum 15 years for plotting a Poppy Day beheading.
You were intent on an act of mass murder, you were not lured MICHAEL TOPOLSKI QC SENTENCING AT OLD BAILEY