White Muslim convert working at Asda ‘ordered “How to make a bomb in the kitchen of your mom” terror manual amid plan to join ISIS’
Ryan Counsell, a supermarket till worker, is said to have had a large amount of extremist material and spent £900 on military gear
A MUSLIM convert who worked at Asda "had a terror manual called 'how to make a bomb in the kitchen of your mom' and planned to travel to the Philippines to join ISIS."
Ryan Counsell, a supermarket till worker, is said to have spent £900 on military gear, including camouflage clothing, boots, knee and elbow pads, magazine pouches and a cheek pad to attach to the stock of a rifle.
The 28-year-old bought the equipment from a company called UKMC Pro Ltd between August 2014 and May 2016, which raised suspicions and led to his arrest.
When police raided his Nottingham home on July 11 last year, they found a large amount of extremist material, including the Al Qaeda magazine "Inspire" and ISIS publication "Dabiq", a court heard.
He also had a document explaining how to make a "pipe bomb", with an electrical initiator and time delay circuit.
Investigators found the married dad-of-one had researched Islamist groups in the Philippines, notably ISIS-affiliated Abu Sayyaf, and had plans to travel there on July 13.
Videos of ISIS beheading prisoners, photos of dead bodies in war zones and documents justifying armed jihad were also found, as well as files titles "earning money: ways to fun jihad", "primitive weapons" and "survival techniques".
Nearly £4,000 in cash was recovered, as well as a tent, a sleeping bag and a ground mat, Woolwich Crown Court heard.
A handwritten list of equipment titles "Field and Non Field Combined List" was also recovered, which prosecutor Dan Pawson-Pounds argued "could only have been gathered for one purpose - to engage in combat".
Counsell claims the equipment was bought to use in "airsoft", an activity similar to paintballing, which he had played just once in seven years.
Paswon-Pounds said: "The Crown say that this defendant was in the advance stages of planning to travel to a remote part of the Philippines in the South China Sea in order to join and fight with an Islamic terrorist group.
"The defendant was in possession of a huge amount of electronic material relating to Islamic terrorist groups, including Islamic State.
"This material demonstrates that the defendant had a profound and enduring interest in extremist Islam, jihad and the propaganda of Islamic State and similar groups."
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Counsell also had a document called "Hijrah to the Islamic State", which provided practical advice for someone wanting to travel to Syria to join ISIS.
The prosecutor added: "It is striking that the military equipment found throughout his house closely mirrors the suggested packing lists in the document."
Multiple copies of a document titled "Mujahid How to Survive in the West 2015" were also recovered, which gives guidance on how to be a terrorist without being caught.
Counsel's browsing history reportedly showed a "growing interest" in terrorism in the Philippines, particularly in the Basilan Island-based Abu Sayyaf, which aims to establish an autonomous Islamic state on the southern island of Mindanao.
Jurors heard the dad-of-one searched for "cheap flights Nottingham to Zamboanga", "Islamic State Basilan", and "Philippine militants trying to unite with other IS support groups".
On May 30, he bought a return ticket from London Heathrow to Manila, the capital of the Philippines, and then on to Zamboanga City, located on Mindanao.
The outbound leg was on July 13, with a return flight just five days later - which the prosecutor argues was only bought to cover his tracks.
It would have meant Counsell spent less than 72 hours at his destination, little more than the time spent travelling to and from Nottingham.
Pawson-Pounds said: "This demonstrates that the defendant had no intention of making the return journey and that it was booked so as not to raise suspicions about a one-way journey."
The manager of the Asda store Counsell worked at, in Radford Road, Nottingham, confirmed the defendant had booked leave between July 13 and 19, the court heard.
During police interviews, Counsell claimed to have downloaded the terrorist material for the purposes of academic research, with a view to countering extremism, jurors were told.
He also said that he planned to travel to Zamboanga to do charity work in an aid camp, and denied any intention to join Abu Sayyaf or support for ISIS.
Pawson-Pounds said the extremist material, the research into Abu Sayyaf, the secret travel plans and the equipment "makes it clear that that account was nonsense".
He also said there was a "clear improbability" of Counsell travelling for more than 30 hours, only to return after 72.
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