Teenage Islamic State fanatic plotted to torture and kill military personnel
A teenage Islamic State fanatic has admitted to a plot to attack police officers in England.
Matthew King, 19, expressed a desire to ‘torture, mutilate and kill military personnel’ as he prepared to stake out a British Army barracks in Stratford, east London.
Other targets for a potential knife attack included a police station, railway station, and Stratford magistrates’ court.
King also spoke of his desire to travel to Syria to join Islamic State, bought ‘tactical gloves’ and goggles and registered with an online knife retailer, according to court documents.
At a hearing at the Old Bailey on Friday, King, from Wickford in Essex, pleaded guilty to preparation of terrorist acts between December 22, 2021 and May 17, 2022.
Judge Mark Lucraft KC adjourned sentencing until April 14.
He stressed it was in King’s ‘best interests’ to help those preparing a report into his behaviour and the teenager replied: ‘Understood.’
The bearded defendant stood in the dock to enter his plea wearing a grey shirt and sleeveless black padded jacket and was remanded in custody.
According to a written basis of plea document submitted by the defence, King ‘actively desired’ to travel to Syria to areas controlled by IS to participate in their activities.
He had sought advice on social media about the best route to get there and discussed it on a WhatsApp group.
The 19-year-old had revealed his plan to an individual identified only as ‘JF’ and made videos expressing his admiration for IS.
It was claimed on King’s behalf that his plans were at a very early stage and the prospect of an act of terrorism was ‘remote’.
Although the teen had not bought a ticket to travel, he had searched the internet for IS tactical training videos in the use of knives and purchased the gloves and goggles, it was said.
The prosecution rejected the defence claim an attack on home soil was a ‘fall back option’ if King failed to get to Syria.
Authorities had been tipped off about the teenager through an anti-terrorist hotline after he posted a video on a WhatsApp group on April 13, last year.
In it was an image of a male holding a knife with the words: ‘Those who said that there is no jihad and no battle. They are lying!’
King was arrested at his home on May 18, last year by officers from the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command.
After being cautioned, he responded: ‘I don’t believe in the UK law, the only law I believe in is the law of Allah.’
Commander Richard Smith, who leads the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: ‘It was not clear when or where King intended to carry out his attack, but he had conducted a significant amount of hostile reconnaissance.
‘In online conversations, he talked about committing an indiscriminate attack on the public. Disturbingly, he also spoke about targeting police officers and army personnel.
‘Concerns about King’s mindset were reported to police, and it was those reports that led to King being investigated and his attack planning being discovered.
‘This is another case which shows how the round-the-clock efforts of police, with our partners, are keeping the public safe from very real threats.
‘It also shows how important it is for the public to report anyone they think may be vulnerable to radicalisation, or already on that path.’
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