Birmingham mosque and bookshop linked to terrorist’s plans

31 January 2025 , 09:18

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Birmingham mosque and bookshop linked to terrorist’s plans

Jason Savage, 35, also downloaded and watched violent and extremist videos and researched how to kill with a knife.

A Birmingham man has been found guilty of planning a terrorist attack on a mosque and a bookshop in the city. Jason Savage, 35, was convicted today following a trial at Birmingham Crown Court.

The jury heard how Savage, from March 2022 up until his arrest in March 2024, had researched and planned activity to carry out the attacks. Savage had converted to Islam in the 2010s and followed an extreme and violent interpretation of the ’Salafi movement’.

Prosecutors told the court that Savage had targeted a Salafi cleric associated with a mosque and a Small Heath bookstore because the cleric ’was an outspoken critic of Islamist terrorism and extremism’, contrary to Savage’s own twisted views.

The jury were shown what was described as a reconnaissance video which was made by Savage three days before his arrest. It showed him walking round the location of the mosque and bookstore, discussing points of entry, the routes that the police would likely attend from, and escape routes.

Savage also downloaded and watched violent and extremist videos, researched how to kill with a knife, and how to make parts of a gun and ammunition as well as carrying out the reconnaissance of military buildings and police stations as potential locations.

Days before his arrest, Savage changed his WhatsApp profile to ‘Lone Wolf’ indicating he was planning to carry out an incident on his own. On the day of his arrest on March 14 last year, Savage’s messaging and intentions increased.

In a voice note to his friend, he exclaimed he would “see him in paradise”. He believed the activity he was planning would result in him not surviving, police said.

But Savage was unaware that the ‘friend’ was actually an undercover police officer from Counter Terrorism Policing West Midlands. As a result of the concerning message, officers arrested Savage hours later in a Birmingham street.

Savage, of Fourth Avenue, Small Heath, was charged on March 21 with Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006, engaging in conduct in preparation for acts of terrorism. A knife was recovered from his address which he had adapted by removing the handle and wrapping the blade with cloth.

Head of Counter Terrorism Policing West Midlands, Detective Chief Superintendent Alison Hurst said: “Many arrests that are carried out for terrorism suspects are pre-planned, however the arrest of Savage was one conducted in a street during an evening as we had become increasingly concerned around his behaviour.

“Thanks to these quick actions to protect the public, there is no doubt that we stopped a dangerous individual carrying out an attack that would have caused injuries and potentially also fatalities.”

Savage is due to be sentenced on April 4.

James Smith