Mum alerts police ‘to son’s knife terror plot’
THE scared mother of a British Taliban fighter reported him to police hours before he allegedly set out to cause carnage in Westminster, a court heard.
Khalid Ali, 28, spent five years making bombs in Afghanistan before returning home to deliver a “message” to Parliament armed with three knives, jurors at the Old Bailey were told.
The trained plumber was arrested in Parliament Square on April 27 last year, four weeks after the murderous attack by Khalid Masood.
Prosecutor Brian Altman, QC said police were called to Ali’s home in Edmonton, north London, after a report of a man armed with a knife, just after midnight that day. Officers found Ali’s mother Fadumo Faji Adam waiting for them, clearly upset.
Scared
Mr Altman told jurors: “She said that she had found knives in her son’s bedroom and that she was scared he was going to kill the family.”
Asked if she wanted him to be arrested, she said: “No, no, no. I just want him to leave.”
After leaving his mother’s house, Ali set about re-arming himself, the court heard.
He bought an 8in chef’s knife and two 3.5in paring knives.
He was later arrested by armed officers, who retrieved the knives.
Earlier, Ali had been captured on CCTV carrying out “hostile reconnaissance” around Downing Street, Parliament and MI6 headquarters.
Ali denies two charges of possessing explosives with intent abroad in 2012 and one charge of preparing terrorist acts in Britain.
The trial continues.