Teen's terror plot against police and soldiers thwarted by mother

A teenage Islamic State person who has admitted plotting attacks connected British constabulary and soldiers has had his sentencing delayed aft reports helium has threatened to behead a situation imam.

The justice astatine the Old Bailey has adjourned the sentencing of 19-year-old Matthew King from Wickford successful Essex. 

He was enactment nether surveillance aft his parent raised concerns that videos helium was watching promoted hatred. 

Judge Mark Lucraft KC said she had "done precisely the close thing".

King pleaded blameworthy successful January to the mentation of violent attacks betwixt 22 December 2021 and 17 May 2022.

At Friday's sentencing proceeding successful London, the prosecution outlined the lawsuit and the defence began its mitigation, nevertheless the justice adjourned the proceeding for 2 weeks for further inquiries to beryllium made astatine the situation wherever King is being held.

The tribunal heard that quality reports from the jailhouse suggested King had said helium would "behead the imam".

King's barrister Hossein Zahir KC said this was "a throwaway remark by an aggravated young antheral being stuck successful his cell" and asked for further inquiries.

Earlier, the prosecuting barrister Paul Jarvis told the tribunal King had dabbled successful drugs since aboriginal secondary school, was expelled and near acquisition astatine 16 with nary qualifications.

He said King converted to Islam successful 2020 and, astatine first, his behaviour improved, but successful 2021 helium began criticising his sisters' covering arsenic immodest and attended mosques wearing combat clothing.

He was enactment nether surveillance aft his parent reported him to the government's anti-extremism bureau Prevent, due to the fact that she feared immoderate of the videos helium was watching promoted hatred.

Several of the mosques helium attended besides warned him astir his behaviour, and 1 decided helium was nary longer welcome, Mr Jarvis told the court.

In 2022, successful the weeks earlier his arrest, King began carrying retired reconnaissance successful eastbound London, including connected constabulary officers patrolling extracurricular Stratford railway station, arsenic good arsenic astatine Stratford constabulary presumption itself and the section magistrates' court.

Mr Jarvis told the tribunal that 1 of the videos recovered connected his telephone featured footage adjacent the constabulary station, overlaid with a soundtrack including the words: "Coldly termination them with hatred and rage. Plan your cleanable sidesplitting spree."

On 17 May 2022, a CCTV camera captured him filming aft acheronian extracurricular a 7 Rifles Army barracks successful eastbound London.

He was arrested astatine his location the pursuing time and his telephone examined.

Officers recovered Snapchat messages King sent to a miss who was inactive successful the sixth form, known successful tribunal arsenic Miss A, successful which helium said helium wanted to question to Syria to go a martyr.

They exchanged messages astir however they would similar to mutilate members of the British and American equipped forces.

Miss A wrote to him: "We can't fto them dice speedy tho. Slow achy decease akhi... I'll usher you done it. Or bring him oregon her home."

The prosecution said King had said helium was "training for Jihad" and conscionable wanted "to termination people".

Mr Jarvis told the tribunal that connected 17 May 2022, the time earlier King's arrest, the miss messaged him to accidental she wanted to ore connected her exams.

King replied to accidental helium would "be worshipping Allah" and helium mightiness soon beryllium "on the news".

The sentencing has been adjourned until 26 May.