Terrorist who planned to join Isis in Syria and plotted UK bomb attack jailed

A terrorist who planned to flee to Syria to fight with Isis and hoped to carry out a bomb attack in the UK has been jailed for six years.

Mubashir Jamil, from Luton, sent a covert police officer online messages between November 2015 and April 2016 about his dreams of travelling to Syria and even bought a punchbag and pull-bag to get fit ahead of his journey, the Old Bailey heard.

The 22-year-old said he didn’t want to draw attention to his fitness programme and also bought a football to play with "so it's less suspicious".

Before deciding to travel to Syria, Jamil considered other options, including carrying out a suicide bomb attack, police said.

He talked of wanting to see attacks similar to those in Belgium and Paris.

In one message, he wrote: "I am saying if you guys can send me someone quickly, and he fits a explosive [sic] belt on me and tells me how to press, I can go find good targets on the same day and press it."

But Jamil decided to pursue his plans to fight in Syria instead. He booked a ticket to fly to Turkey on April 30. Officers arrested him on April 27.

Video footage released by Scotland Yard showed officers smashing down the door of the house in Luton, before racing upstairs and putting Mubashir Jamil in handcuffs as he lay on his bed.

Police seized an iPhone and two laptops featuring pro-Daesh documents including "How to survive in the West - A mujahid guide" and "The Islamic State 2015".

He was convicted of being engaged in conduct in preparation for giving effect to the intention to commit acts of terrorism on October 19.

Commander Dean Haydon, head of the Met's Counter Terrorism Command, said: "I am pleased with this result which has ensured that a man who was seemingly inspired by the terrorist atrocities in Belgium and France has been taken out of the community.

“The community is really key to our efforts to continue putting people engaging in terrorist activity before the courts. I urge the public to do this by being vigilant and reporting anything suspicious, including if they think someone they know is being radicalised."

Detective Superintendent Glen Channer, from the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit Counter Terrorism Policing added: "We simply will not tolerate those who spread fear and hate in our communities and will continue to target, arrest and disrupt anyone involved in such criminality.”

Anyone who notices suspicious behaviour or is concerned that someone they know is being radicalised is urged to call the confidential Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321.