In this section we will look at some of the people who have been convicted of Terrorist activity in the UK since 2001.

 

 

Following a six-month retrial, three men, Abdulla Ahmed Ali, Assad Sarwar and Tanvir Hussain, were convicted at Woolwich Crown Court of conspiracy to murder in the "aircraft bomb" plot. Sue Hemming, Head of the Crown Prosecution Service Counter Terrorism Division, described the plot as "calculated and sophisticated" and one which could have killed hundreds of people. Another man was convicted of conspiracy to murder without being aware that the targets were aircraft.

 

Ms Hemming said: "These men wanted to bring down several aircraft in a short space of time, indiscriminately killing hundreds of innocent people - perhaps more if they'd succeeded in activating their devices while over cities. 

 

"This was a calculated and sophisticated plot to create a terrorist event of global proportions and the jury concluded that Ali, Sarwar and Hussain knew what the target was. The convictions followed months of hard work and cooperation between CPS Counter Terrorism Division, the Metropolitan Police and the Security Services. 

 

"The men set up a bomb factory to make devices using soft drink bottles. They emptied bottles and intended to refill them with explosives. Detonators were being assembled using batteries and the men intended to explode the devices whilst in the air.

 

"Other evidence supported this, including notes written by Abdullah Ahmed Ali, the ringleader, on how to avoid the suspicion of airport security. Details of flights to the US and Canada were found on documents and on a USB memory stick.

 

"Some of the men also recorded chilling so-called martyrdom videos that featured threats to the West of waves of terrorist attacks and suggested justification for terrorism.

"There can of course be no legitimate reason for planning and carrying out such acts.

"The defence of the three men found guilty of the aircraft plot was that they had intended merely to set off small explosions in order to bring attention to th

eir cause and that their videos were intended to be used as part of a documentary”.

"We rejected these pleas as inadequate in reflecting the evidence in the case and the level of criminality displayed by the defendants. The jury has also decided, with these verdicts, that they were guilty of much more serious offences and we thank them for their attention to the evidence in this case."

 

One man was acquitted of both counts of conspiracy to murder and three others were acquitted of conspiring specifically to bring down aircraft. The jury could not agree on those three in respect of an unspecified conspiracy to murder.

 

 

Mohammed Saeed Alim (also known as Nicky Reilly)

On 15 October 2008 Nicky Reilly pleaded guilty to one count of attempted murder and one count of engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts. He received a life sentence (minimum 18 years) on each count.

 

The attempted murder count relates to the fact that he had entered the Giraffe restaurant in the Princess Hay shopping centre in Exeter after midday on 22 May 2008. He was carrying a rucksack containing 2 different types of improvised explosive devices which were in glass bottles and contained nails. He went to a toilet cubicle and set about preparing 3 of the devices for detonation. Once he had prepared them, they started to detonate prematurely and although he then tried to pick them up and get back into the restaurant, he failed to do so. They exploded causing him injury. Subsequent enquiries revealed evidence that he had intended to kill innocent people in the restaurant and to martyr himself.

 

In addition, evidence found later on his computer, revealed that he had investigated several other potential targets for a terrorist attack, all of which were in Plymouth. He had also researched the making of, prepared and transported another type of improvised explosive device that he did not use on 22 May. This provided the basis for the second count

 

 

Dodds had made an improvised explosive device in his bedroom; it exploded and he had to be airlifted to hospital. A search of his home revealed further items that could be used to make such devices including chemicals and instructions on how to do so. Police also found two devices that had already been made and a homemade loaded pistol and ammunition.

He pleaded guilty to 12 offences contrary to Section 4 of the Explosive Substances Act 1883 (making or possessing explosives) and two offences contrary to the Firearms Act (pistol and ammunition). He was sentenced to 2 years imprisonment on each of the first 12 counts to run concurrently; 5 years for making a prohibited weapon, to run consecutively and a further 12 months concurrent for possession of ammunition when prohibited, a total of 7 years

 

 

'The Fertiliser Plot'

Five Defendants were found guilty of Conspiracy to Murder after a trial lasting for more than a year and sentenced to life imprisonment with minimum terms of 20 years for Anthony Garcia and Omar Khyam and 17.5 years for Salahuddin Amin, Waheed Mahmood and Jawad Akbar.

 

Central to the allegation was that a group of British citizens conspired to attempt to blow up a target in the UK, various targets being discussed. Some of the group spent time in Pakistan in late September 2001 to spring 2002 and some of them learned to use weapons and explosives at two training camps. It is known that Khyam travelled to Afghanistan and met members of the Taliban. Once back in the UK, a very large quantity of ammonium nitrate fertiliser was purchased and stored which highlighted the plans had reached an advanced stage. The intentions of the group were evidenced by conversations between the conspirators gleaned from listening devices strategically placed by the police.

 

 

Nazi fanatic Martyn Gilleard was sentenced for terrorism offences after police found weapons, including home-made bombs, extreme right-wing propaganda and terrorist literature at his home while searching for indecent images of children.

Peter McDonagh, of the Crown Prosecution Service's Counter Terrorism Division, said: "Martyn Gilleard has been found guilty of serious terrorism offences. He was actively planning to commit terrorist acts against people and communities that he hated with a bigot's zeal - Black and Asian people, European immigrants, Jews, Muslims and anyone he regarded as a political opponent.

 

"This is a man who is comfortable with the idea of a race war and was preparing for one - going so far as to manufacture bombs and collect weapons.

 

"This case demonstrates that the Crown Prosecution Service will actively prosecute anyone who pursues terrorism as a way of achieving their ends, whatever their background or motivation may be."

 

The court was told that Gilleard's activities were uncovered when police raided his home on suspicion of child pornography offences. They found an armoury of knives, guns, machetes, swords, axes, bullets, and four nail bombs; internet material on how to make poison and bombs; racist literature including photographs showing his admiration for Hitler and the Nazi cause

 

 

Aabid Hussain Khan, Sultan Muhammad and Hammaad Munshi

Aabid Khan arrived at Manchester Airport from Pakistan on 6 June 2006. He was stopped by police and his luggage searched. Police found 2 computer hard drives, 16 CDs and a quantity of documents. The contents of this material showed Khan to be a significant figure in promoting the cause of violent jihad, not just in the UK but via the internet in the English speaking world and inciting others to participate. He was a recruiter of others and evidence showed he also facilitated trips to Pakistan. The material in his possession included handwritten documents that showed his intention to take part in acts of murder and terrorism.

 

He was convicted after trial of 3 counts of possessing an article for a purposes connected with terrorism, namely a hard disk and 2 DVDs. He was sentenced to a total of 12 years imprisonment.

 

Sultan Muhammad friend of Aabid Khan lived close to each other in Bradford. He went on the run the day that Khan was arrested. All that is known of his whereabouts until his arrest on 19 June in London, is that he had travelled to London on 17 June. A search of his bedroom revealed a collection of CDs, books and manuals that contained the same sort of material. These included the most significant videos released by Al Qaida groups to promote their cause and in some cases he had more than one copy; a number of compilation CDs which glorified killing and dying as a martyr; and detailed practical information about making and using various types of weapons and explosives and in addition, a video with a step-by-step guide of how to make a suicide bombers vest.

 

He was convicted after trial of 3 counts of possessing an article for a purpose connected with terrorism, namely a hard disk, a DVD and a wallet of documents detailing the practical information described above. He was also convicted of a fourth count of making a record of information likely to be useful to a terrorist. This was a file entitled: 'Draft Ideas' created by him and prepared to assist those who were preparing for an act of terrorism. He was sentenced to a total of 10 years imprisonment.

 

Hammaad Munshi also a friend of Aabid Khan was convicted of one count of making a record of information likely to be useful to a terrorist, namely a file entitled:' How to make Napalm' which he had created from the internet. A quantity of propaganda videos and audio recordings, stored on the family computer, were found during a search and he had further extremist documents on his MP3 Player. He was 16 years old at the time of the offence. He received a sentence of 2 years in a Young Offenders' Institute

 

 

The attempted bombings of 21/7

On 21 July 2005, 4 explosions occurred on the public transport system in central London causing parts of the underground system to be brought to a halt, with widespread alarm to members of the public. The trials have involved those who actually conspired to carry out the bombings and those who, to a greater or lesser extent, assisted, either by withholding information about the events and the perpetrators or by actually assisting the main offenders to escape detection. The sentences reflect the involvement of each defendant.

 

Four defendants, Muktar Ibrahim, Yassin Omar, Hussain Osman and Ramzi Mohammed were all convicted after trial of conspiracy to murder and each received a life sentence (minimum 40 years) on 11 July 2007.

 

Two others, Asiedu and Adel Yahya, pleaded guilty in November 2007. Asiedu pleaded guilty to conspiracy to cause explosions and was sentenced to life with a minimum tariff of 33 years on 19 November 2007. Yahya pleaded guilty to the possession of terrorist material and was sentenced to 6 years and 9 months.

 

There were then three further trials for groups of defendants who had assisted the bombers including that of Fardosa Abdullahi.

 

Fardosa Abdullahi (assisting a 21/7 bomber) 

Fardosa Abdullahi was formally engaged to Yassin Omar at the time of the events on 21/7. She pleaded guilty to assisting an offender, namely Yassin Omar, essentially by providing him with items enabling him to disguise himself as a woman and thus to evade immediate detection. She was sentenced to 3 years on 11 July 2008.

This case concludes the various trials relating to the 16 defendants tried for offences in connection with the failed bombings of 21/7

 

 

Six men convicted of terrorism offences relating to a recording made in 2004. 

The offences included inciting people to commit acts of terrorism overseas and terrorist fundraising.

 

The men were convicted by a jury following a three month trial at Kingston Crown Court. 

Omar (a/k/a Trevor) Brooks (a/k/a Abu Izzadeen ) was jailed for 4.5 years for inciting terrorism overseas and 2.5 years for terrorist fundraising. Sentences to run concurrently. Total sentence 4.5 years. 

 

Simon Keeler (a/k/a Suliman) was jailed for 4.5 years for inciting terrorism overseas and 2.5 years for terrorist fundraising. Sentences to run concurrently. Total sentence 4.5 years. 

 

Ibrahim Abdullah Hassan (a/k/a Abdul Haq) was jailed for 2 years, 9 months for inciting terrorism overseas. 

 

Abdul Saleem was jailed for 3 years, 9 months for inciting terrorism. 

Abdul Muhid was jailed for 2 years for terrorist fundraising. 

Shah Jalal Hussain was jailed for 2 years for terrorist fundraising and 3 months for breaching his bail. Sentences to run consecutively. Total sentence 2 years, 3 months

During their speeches the men incited people to fight British and American forces in Iraq and encouraged people to donate money to fund terrorism. All of the defendants were either a member of, or associated with, a group called Al Muhajiroun which was considered to be an extremist group. 

 

The jury was told that none of the defendants, or the group they represented, were welcome at the Mosque. Their views did not represent mainstream opinion and their preaching brought them into conflict with the Mosque leaders and those responsible for security. 

 

The DVD in question - called "The 27th Night of Ramadan, 2004 at Regents Park Mosque - recorded 2.30pm til 1am November" - was a record of some of the speeches made by the defendants at Regents Park Mosque in November 2004. The recordings are mainly in English, but there are also passages in Arabic. 

The men were arrested by officers from the Counter Terrorism Command on April 24 2007. 

 

The Ricin Plotter

On April 8 2005, after a seven month trial, a jury at the Old Bailey found Kamel Bourgass guilty of conspiring to commit a public nuisance by the use of poisons and/or explosives to cause disruption, fear or injury.

 

At an earlier separate trial in 2004, Bourgass was also convicted of the murder of policeman DC Stephen Oake, the attempted murder of two Greater Manchester Police colleagues and the wounding of a third officer. This occurred during the arrests of Bourgass and others in a flat in Manchester in January 2003, when Bourgass made a determined attempt to escape following the discovery of his flat in London and the exposure of the conspiracy a week earlier.