Teen Muslim convert 'looked up weapons and Isle of Wight festival as target'
A teenage Muslim convert accused of planning a terror attack looked up the Isle of Wight Festival as a potential target after developing an “Islamic extremist mindset”, a jury has heard.
The 16-year-old boy, who was 15 at the time and cannot be named due to his age, is also alleged to have sent ISIS videos of beheadings and violence online to those who appeared to share a “similar mindset”. As part of his alleged plot to carry out a terror attack, he is said to have looked up weapons, vehicles, and stab vests, and obtained a knife by July 2022.
Kingston Crown Court heard that the youngster had a photo of Osama Bin Laden as his phone screen picture and that he dropped the idea of making the festival a target because he did not have a car, before then allegedly drawing up plans to stab people who worked with him at a specialist education provider.
A handwritten note to his family in the event anything happened to him, which said whatever he did would be driven by hatred of non-believers, is alleged to have been found after his arrest. He is also said to have tried to convert his grandmother to Islam in the note.
Prosecutor Serena Gates told the court the defendant is autistic but “bright, articulate and capable of exchanging ideas with others”. Jurors heard the FBI alerted UK counter-terror police to a user of the messaging app Discord who was allegedly plotting an attack on July 11 2022, who was later identified as the defendant.
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A note found in his bag suggested people should “stay away from the Muslims unless you want your throat sliced”, according to the prosecution. Another note found at his address appears to claim a member of staff at the education provider he was enrolled with had drawn a picture of Allah, which can be “extremely offensive to Muslims”, the court heard.
The words of a further note said the staff member “shouldn’t feel safe”, jurors were told. A picture of a gun and arrow pointed towards the word unbeliever is said to have been found on the piece of card. The defendant converted to Islam in late 2021 and the court heard five tutors who worked with him became concerned about his developing beliefs.
The court heard the teenager’s conversion was initially assessed by the education provider as “having a positive impact” on the defendant’s life and he was “given space” to explore it. The defendant later began saying he no longer wanted to work with women and discussed moving to Saudi Arabia before deciding the country was “too liberal”, jurors were told.
The defendant also expressed support for attacks on French magazine Charlie Hebdo, the prosecution said. It was noticed the defendant had a picture of Osama Bin Laden as his phone screen picture around a year-and-a-half before his arrest, but there was no major concern as he “was often trying to shock people with what he said”, it was claimed.
The defendant also said he had become involved in an online anti-gay group “with Muslims in it” before his conversion, it was alleged. On the day of the defendant’s arrest, what were thought to be knife marks were seen on the front and back of the defendant’s bag as he reached to get snacks out, the jury was told.
Staff had considered referring him to the Government’s Prevent anti-radicalisation programme but the defendant became angry when he heard about this, the court heard.
The teen denies one count of preparing acts of terrorism, three counts of disseminating terrorist publications and one count of possessing a knife in public.
The trial continues.
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