A TEENAGER FOUND with a hammer, 12-inch knife and an ‘Islamic flag’ has been found guilty of plotting to behead a British soldier.
Brusthom Ziamani, aged 19, was convicted of preparing terrorist acts at the Old Bailey in London today.
In April 2014, the young man is believed to have converted to Islam, with his extremist views developing rapidly.
Police today said his social media posts became more extreme within weeks.
In May 2014 he posted “Land of democracy = Evil” and in July 2014 he wrote “Forget the protests, the only way to liberate Muslim lands is Jihad”.
It is understood that he was heavily involved with a London-based proscribed terrorist organisation that “played a major role in influencing and shaping his radical views”, Scotland Yard said today.
On 19 August last year, the teen visited his former girlfriend at her home and showed her a bag containing a 12-inch knife and hammer. He told her he intended to kill soldiers.
Later that day, he was arrested as he left an address in the east of the city with the rucksack containing these items.
He had already been known to police who searched his address on Warner Road in June in relation to the tenant illegally subletting his premises to Ziamani and one other.
During the raid, officers discovered a handwritten letter in a pair of jeans belonging to Ziamani which they say “exposed his extremist mindset”.
One part of the letter stated that due to the situations in Syria and Iraq and because he did not have the means to get to these countries, he would wage war against British government instead.
Other parts of the letter glorified the murder of Lee Rigby and stated that “we should do a 9/11, 7/7 and a Woolwich all in one day.”
The young man admitted to writing the letter and was arrested, bailed and released on strict conditions.
Whilst on bail, officers from the Prevent programme, who support individuals at risk of being drawn into terrorism, tried to arrange three meetings but he refused to engage.
On 20 June, Ziamani used his phone to visit websites researching the locations for army cadet bases across London.
Commander Richard Walton, from the Counter Terrorism Command, said the case “starkly illustrates one of the threats we currently face in the UK”.
Ziamani was an impressionable young man who became radicalised then rapidly developed an extremist, violent mindset. Over a series of months he ultimately developed a desire to carry out a terrorist attack on British soldiers.
Sentencing will take place on 20 March.
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