City neighbours’ shock at ‘quiet’ terror supporter

NEIGHBOURS of a Cardiff man who prepared for a terror attack and kept the details on computer files hidden in a James Bond-style cufflink, have described him as a “quiet person” who didn’t mix with others.

People living on Rennie Street in Riverside spoke of their shock after it emerged that Samata Ullah, 34, had pleaded guilty to being a member of Islamic State (IS), and being involved in terrorist training and the preparation of terrorist acts.

As reported in yesterday’s Echo, at the time of his arrest in Cardiff in September last year, he had a cuff link that contained a tiny computer USB drive. The drive had a Linux operating system loaded onto it to conceal a hoard of extremist data, including a blog.

Speaking about Ullah, one neighbour on Rennie Street said: “He was mainly in the house, in and out now and again, just being really quiet.

“But he’s mainly been by himself. He seems really quiet.

“If you even said hello he wouldn’t have answered back.”

He added: “It was strange finding out that was what he was up to. He just stayed in his house.”

Another neighbour, who also did not want to be named, said: “Sometimes he never said hello.

“I don’t think anyone knows much about him. He’s very quiet.

“He’s always been there. People are still shocked now (at) what he’s done.”

Another neighbour who lived in the area said “he never even acknowledged anybody, really”.

She said: “From when he was a young boy, he wasn’t a mixer. He was very quiet.”

She added: “You live with people all these years, watch them grow up. You don’t imagine it’s going to happen in this street.

“All devastated, we were. We’re shocked.”

At an Old Bailey hearing, Ullah pleaded guilty to five terror offences including possession of an article for terrorist purposes on or before September 22 last year.

From December 2015, he had provided instructional videos on how to secure sensitive data and remain anonymous online with the use of the Tor programme, and PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) encryption.

Ullah admitted researching ZeroNet and developing a version of a blog site using the decentralised internet-like peer-to-peer network.

He also pleaded guilty to having a book entitled Guided Missiles Fundamentals AFM 52-31 and an electronic PDF version of the book Advances In Missile Guidance, Control, And Estimation for terrorist purposes.

However, he denied a charge of directing terrorism between December 2015 and September last year contrary to section 56 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

Prosecutor Brian Altman QC said the Crown had accepted the pleas after referring to the Attorney General. He asked for the remaining charge to lie on file.

The court heard Ullah had since been diagnosed with autism.

Mr Altman said a hi-tech report dealt with the defendant’s desire to copy his blog onto a platform in a “format that meant it could not be closed down or deleted by the authorities”.

Judge Gerald Gordon lifted reporting restrictions in the case.

He said the “issue of dangerousness” would have to be looked at before sentencing.

Ullah admitted the charges earlier this month but his pleas could not be reported until after the prosecution had time to consider whether to go ahead with a trial on the remaining charge.

He did not attend court to hear of the Attorney General’s decision.

His barrister Ben Emmerson QC said Ullah had admitted membership of IS on the basis that was what he had professed.

Sentencing was adjourned until April 28 at the Old Bailey.