Extremist guilty of inciting terrorism

AN EXTREMIST who made a “chilling” video of London’s Royal Festival Hall with the message “Attack, attack” has been found guilty of encouraging terrorism.

Shehroz Iqbal, 29, posted the mobile phone footage to a group of like- minded friends on WhatsApp in March.

Among them was high- profile extremist Abu Haleema, who has been linked to the ringleader of the London Bridge attack,

Khuram Butt, and featured in the documentary The Jihadis Next Door.

Iqbal, of Ilford, east London, had denied encouraging terrorism on WhatsApp and disseminating Islamic State propaganda on Facebook.

A jury at the Old Bailey deliberated for three hours and 45 minutes to find him guilty of the charges.

The defendant, who had declined to give evidence, was remanded into custody to be sentenced on November 20.

Prosecutor Kate Wilkinson had described Iqbal as an extremist who was “volatile and prone to act on his extremism”.

On March 11, he visited the Hayward Gallery on the South Bank, near the Royal Festival Hall and Waterloo Bridge, the court heard.

He spent about an hour- and- ahalf at the popular art attraction and made a video on his phone, it is claimed.

Ms Wilkinson said: “It was a calm video, it was short and its message was clear.

“It spanned from across his vista as he stood there at Hayward Gallery and focused on the traffic passing on Waterloo Bridge, and then he spoke rather chillingly.”

In the footage played in court, Iqbal said: “This is my spot Akhi ( brothers) Central London. Attack, attack.”