Home UK Islamic State supporter jailed for calling for attack on Prince George

Islamic State supporter jailed for calling for attack on Prince George

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An internet terrorist who urged his social media followers to target Prince George at school and bring carnage to the World Cup has been jailed.

Husnain Rashid, 31, provided advice on how a lone wolf terrorist could carry out an attack with poison, chemicals, bombs and knives.

He was also in communication with a known IS fighter in Syria and ran his own internet channel, Woolwich Crown Court heard.

Islamic State supporter jailed for calling for attack on Prince George

Husnain Rashid, 31, provided advice on how a lone wolf terrorist could carry out an attack with poison, chemicals, bombs and knives. (Picture: Police Handout)

Rashid posted 360,000 messages on 150 different chat threads on Telegram between November 2016 and his arrest on 22 November last year.

He also urged thousands of social media followers to carry out terror attacks at the World Cup in Russia.

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Today he was jailed for life with a minimum of 25 years.

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The court heard that Rashid had encouraged followers to inject cyanide into fruit and vegetables at grocery stores and inject poison into ice cream.

Rashids trial began but he was re-arraigned and admitted three counts of engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts and one of encouraging terrorism on May 31.

Officers seized almost £6,000 which they believed was going to be used to fund terrorism.

Annabel Darlow, prosecuting, said Rashid utilised a number of online channels and chat groups to post an immense volume of terrorist-related material.

She said: He coordinated others to take part in terrorist activities both in the UK and abroad. His plans were well developed and but for the intervention of the authorities he would have succeed.

File photo dated 07/09/17 of Prince George arriving with the Duke of Cambridge at Thomas's Battersea in London. Husnain Rashid, 31, will appear at the Old Bailey via video link later charged with terrorism offences after being accused of sharing details of Prince George's school on social media.

His suggestions included injecting poison into supermarket ice creams and targeting Prince George at his first school. (Picture: PA)

His behaviour was very likely to be responsible for multiple deaths arising from what were lone-wolf style attacks.

The Crown would identify a number of aggravating factors. They are recent and repeated possession or accessing of extremist material.

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Communication with other extremists and the deliberate us of encrypted communications to facilitate the offences.

The indoctrination and encouragement of others and attempts to disguise his identity to prevent detection.

The overarching aim of his activities was to provide a wealth of online material – an e tool-kit for terrorism, for those preparing to commit acts of terror and to offer as much assistance, encouragement and support as he was able.

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She added: His proposals were indiscriminate and made no distinction between adult and child, between members of fighting forces and civilians.

His suggestions included injecting poison into supermarket ice creams and targeting Prince George at his first school.

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He provided an unstoppable and hate-filled flow of encouragement for others to commit acts of terror – attacks with vehicles, explosive devices, bombs, chemicals, any attack you can imagine one person committing on their own.

He made numerous postings glorifying successful terrorist atrocities committed by others and encouraging and inciting his readers to plan and commit successful terror attacks of their own.

His activities were prolific. They encompassed running an online channel called the Lone Mujahid and uploading a number of resources to assist those planning their own attacks.

His special interest was in assisting the “lone wolf” attacker; the Lone Mujahid to commit attacks.

**TV OUT** FILE PICTURE - Artists impression of Husnain Rashid. A teacher at a British Mosque encouraged terrorists to target Prince George at his school, a court heard today (WED). See NATIONAL story NNGEORGE. Wannabe Jihadi Husnain Rashid, 32, ran an internet channel - called Lone Mujahid - that incited and gave how-to-guides for ?lone wolf? terror attacks around the world including Britain, the court was told. Rashid even urged his followers to inject poison into supermarket ice creams, Woolwich Crown Court heard. He begged a notorious British jihadi - known as Repunzel - to help him become an Islamic State fighter, jurors were told. Rashid, a teacher at the Mohamadi Mosque in Nelson, Lancs, tried to publish four editions of the Knights of the Lone Jihad and Al Queda?s ?official magazine? Inspire using an online ?telegram? service to send mass messages, the court heard. Jurors were told he sent 290,000 messages on encrypted chat groups before he was arrested at his home in Nelson last November.

Officers seized almost £6,000 which they believed was going to be used to fund terrorism. (Picture: SWNS)

But within that speciality, he offered assistance with almost every conceivable type of attack capable of being launched by a single individual; attacks with poison, vehicles, weapons, bombs, chemicals and knives.

Rashid of Lancashire, admitted three counts of engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts and one of encouraging terrorism.

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Sentencing his to three life sentences, Judge Andrew Lees, said: Your actions were prolific. Your special interest was planning lone-wolf attacks.

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During this period, you sort to travel overseas with the intention of fighting Jihad in Islamic State territory.

Your preparations were advanced and but for your arrest the activities were likely to be carried out.

It is hard to over-state the conduct captured in count three.

Judge Lees decided to impose a dangerous order on Rashid and said he would be in prison for a minimum of 25 years after making three concurrent life sentences.

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He was branded pathetic, by his own defence lawyer, Naeem Mian QC who said: His life was going nowhere, and all of a sudden this gives his life some meaning. What underpins all of that is social exclusion.

He is rather a sad little man – an armchair warrior.

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