MI5 men’s banter ‘was like TV’s Homeland’
MI5 came under intense scrutiny throughout the trial after the exposure of a series of embarrassing texts by the undercover officers involved in which they boasted of putting on a ‘Oscar performance’ for the jury.
In what was described as ‘banter’ between the officers, they used mocking names for their female colleagues, including ‘Moose’ and ‘Keegan’, the later because she had a perm like footballer Kevin Keegan.
One deleted message from an MI5 officer known as ‘Vincent’ read: ‘The situation we find ourselves in with BSS [British Security Service] is not ideal (understatement) either way I’m even more determined to put in an Oscar performance when I get in that box.’
On another occasion, Vincent messaged his temporary ‘cover officer’ telling him: ‘As you know I am working tmw and I think I am right in saying this will be the first time you have covered me since becoming a newly qualified cover... I feel I must warn you that there are certain things I need to make you aware of...
‘I cannot under any circumstances be trusted with ANY of the following... Small children, guns, loose women, £50 notes, strippers, massage parlours, any night club in Prague or Liverpool, bald women (they really turn me on), any car that will exceed 17 mph, any 5-star hotel, any one of my 3 passports, Jacobs creek sparkling Shiraz, Dalmore cask strength whisky.
‘Other than these few minor faults I have accumulated (over years of undercover work).’
On February 24 last year, just before the trial was originally due to start, Vincent wrote: ‘It’s nothing we ain’t seen before... usual bollox we planted it all and fitted em up !!!! ’
The officer’s expletive-ridden messages gave defence lawyers an opportunity to claim the four terrorists had been the victim of a conspiracy to frame them, which was compared to a plot out of US television spy drama Homeland.
They said a ‘scheming team’ of undercover officers had planted the evidence to impress their bosses. They accused another officer of perjury after he said those working on the investigation had not met during their evidence, even though they had driven to London together and shared a hotel.
It emerged during the case that Rahman had been approached twice by MI5 in 2010 and June 2015. He claimed MI5 had pestered him after his release and invited him to the VIP section of the Britannia Stadium, home of Premiership side Stoke City where he was paid £200 to become an informant.
He used the cash to buy two mobile phones to give to Hussain and Ali.
Lawyers for the defendants openly derided the Home Secretary’s insistence on secrecy, claiming it had left them ‘operating in a Twilight Zone’.
Det Chief Supt Matt Ward, head of West Midlands counter-terrorism unit, said: ‘I’m really proud of our officers – particularly our undercover operatives who were in an incredibly dangerous situation.’