FOUR British Muslims who allegedly plotted a drive-by terror attack laughed in
court as the judge read out the offences.
Suhaib Majeed, 21, Tarik Hassane, 22, Nyall Hamlett, 25, and Nathan Cuffy, 26,
are accused of planning to shoot police officers, soldiers, or a civilian.
Alleged ringleader Hassane led the ‘hostile reconnaissance’ and his internet
search history on Google streetview revealed the group’s potential targets.
Several images of Shepherds Bush police station and White City Territorial
Army Barracks had been pinpointed.
But anti-terror police arrested the men, from West London, before the alleded
attack.
The group allegedly bought a handgun, silencer and ammunition in preparation
for the shoot-out which they planned to carry out from mopeds.
Hassane and Majeed were found to be planning to buy the transport for £2000,
the Old Bailey heard.
The group were allegedly inspired by a 42-minute hate video delivered by
senior ISIS spokesman Abu Muhammad al-Adnani al-Shamito.
The fatwa was released in September 2014 and stated: “Strike their
police, security and intelligence members, as well as their treacherous
agents.
“If you can kill a disbelieving American or European – especially the
spiteful and filthy French – or an Australian, or a Canadian or any other
disbeliever waging war.”
Police found Instagram photos of two Scotland Yard police officers and
community support officers ‘earmarked’ as targets, along with a bulk of
Jihadist material such as beheading videos.
Heavy police protection guided the men into court to begin their trial.
A police helicopter followed overhead while 14 police and security officers,
many wearing stab vests, accompanied them on the ground.
Brian Altman, prosector, QC, said: “With their arrests, the police
successfully disrupted a plot to kill a police officer, a soldier or
possibly even a civilian, in one or more terrorist attacks, which, if the
plot had been allowed to run its course, which would have resulted in a
terrorist murder or murders on the streets of London, according to the
warped ideology of the defendants, in the cause, and for the sake, of Allah.”
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Cuffy is known to have armed the group, while Hamlett acted as the middleman,
the court heard.
Employee of The Money Shop, Cuffy, pleaded guilty to possessing the weapons
without a firearms certificate after being caught with four guns with
ammunition in his bedroom.
Majeed also admitted possessing the firearm and both denied intent to endanger
a life.
Hamlett admitted transferring a firearm and ammunition to Majeed.
Hassane, a medical student in Sudan, allegedly identified possible targets and
proclaimed the group to be part of ISIS.
Hassan was arrested a week after the others on the 7 October 2014.
Mr Altman continued: “What his Google search shows is the type of targets
he and, you may conclude, his co-conspirators had been considering.
“But Hassane was now, in the absence of the others, quite clearly
intending to progress the plan as a lone wolf terrorist to further IS’s
terror reach into the capital of this country.”
All five deny conspiracy to murder between 8 July 2014 and 25 September 2014.
They also deny planning terrorist acts between the 8 July 2014 and 7 October
2014.
District Judge Emma Arbuthnot refused bail and they were remanded in custody
until the court case.
The trial continues and is expected to last three months.