Student From Army Family Jailed For 10 Years Over Terror Offences

A dentistry student from an Army family has been jailed for 10 years for preparing for acts of terrorism by a judge who said he’d been radicalised by his brother, an Islamic State suicide bomber.

A jury heard how Mohammed Awan had ordered 500 ball bearings which had been "specifically identified as suitable for use as shrapnel in the bomb-making process" after learning his jihadi brother had been killed on the news.

Judge Paul Watson QC said Mohammed Awan, 24, had developed a:

"Romanticised notions of Jihadi struggle involving violence and destruction."

There are conflicting reports over how many people his brother, Rizwan Awan, killed in his suicide attack in Iraq in 2016.

Judge Watson sentenced him to 10 years in prison with a three years extended licence.

His barrister Imran Khan said Awan’s family was "devastated" by the double shock of having one son die as a suicide bomber and another jailed for terror offences.

Mr Khan said his client's allegiance was to Britain and members of his family had served in the British Army.

The Telegraph reports that their parents had been described as “dignified pillars of the community”, with Awan’s father being an ex-Army man.

His grandfather had also served in the British Army in India before relocating to Yorkshire in the 1960’s.

The family, however, wanted to make it know that:

“Despite the guilty verdicts, they condemned all forms of terrorism.”

Judge Watson described Awan as ‘radicalised’ and ‘in the grip of idealist extremism’.

Adding that material on Awan's computer showed that he had been:

"Fantasising about taking part in fighting on behalf of the caliphate and that you were intent on engaging in activity on behalf of IS, whether here or abroad.

The judge also said:

"Your preparations were advanced beyond infancy.

"Even though it is probably true that you did not even know yourself, by the time of your arrest, what you were going to do, it is clear that you had formulated the intention to do something.

"You were no Walter Mitty fantasist."

Police seized 11 mobile phones, 16 memory sticks and seven computers in raids at two addresses.

Awan explained to the police that he was a keen fisherman who was researching hunting, he denies preparing for an act of terrorism.

Awan issued a statement saying he will appeal against his conviction and sentence.

He said: "I cannot go behind the jury's decision and do not know why they convicted me.

"I suspect that given the present climate, Muslims such as myself, facing charges of terrorism will find it difficult to be tried by people who are not influenced by what is being said about Muslims in particular and Islam in general.

"I confirm that I abhor and condemn all forms of terrorism."