 |
| Brit Syed Choudhury |
He even downloaded the now infamous image of Jihadi John holding up a knife before beheading a western hostage.
READ ALSO: Insane People Gathered To See ISIS Throw A Man To His Death From High Building In Iraq For Allegedly Being Gay
The student told friends he "would do anything" to get to Syria and started looking up flights to the war-torn country in February last year.
He downloaded a sick video of a mass execution, and surfed sites called "10 reasons to join ISIS" and "Turkey travel, Jihadist Highway", the Old Bailey heard.
The teen's parents were from Bradford, but he was estranged from them and living in a bedsit in Cardiff.
He was arrested in November last year, and while in custody he ranted about bringing Sharia Law to the UK and said he dreamed of dying fighting for ISIS.
He was due to stand trial on terror charges last month but pleaded guilty to preparing for acts of terrorism under section 5 of the Terrorism Act.
Sentencing Choudhury to three years and four months in a young offenders' institution, Judge Peter Rook QC said: "I do regard you as a continuing risk of serious harm to the public.
"I note your improvement while you have been in custody but I can't disregard what you said earlier and how you are an impressionable, immature person, susceptible to radicalisation."
The radical Brit refused legal representation because he "didn't care about the UK or UK laws" because ISIS only enforces Sharia Law.
Judge Rook added that Choudhury had admitted he was "ashamed" of his actions in a meeting with probation prior to sentencing.
Prosecutor Sarah Whitehouse QC said the teen's extremist views were first spotted in September 2012 when he was studying at Cardiff and Vale College.
"He was heard to say that all gay people should be killed and they would go to hell," she said.
He downloaded ISIS propaganda onto his phone in February last year, and waved a banner at a Gaza demonstration last summer which said: "Islamic State will bring peace to the Middle East."
Choudhury then planned to save £2,000 from part-time jobs to travel to Syria.
He posted on social media: "I would love to go there [Syria] I love it" and "My heart is pulling me to Syria".
Abdul Iqbal QC, defending, told the court: "Naivety, immaturity and lack of insight are the hallmarks of his character.
"He had no direct link with anyone in the area of Turkey or Syria, the enquiries seemed to be on the Internet "do you know, could you help".
"They were enquiries by an individual showing enthusiasm for traveling to Syria via Turkey, but he had got no further than making enquiries and had not himself made any independent enquiries beyond those made on the Internet."
No comments:
Post a Comment