Associate of synagogue attacker admits terrror charge

An associate of the Manchester synagogue attacker has admitted driving him to the UK's Defence Academy to carry out reconnaissance for a terrorist attack.

Mohammad Bashir, 31, pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to a charge of preparing to commit a terrorist act with Jihad Al-Shamie.

Bashir drove Al-Shamie to the military base, in Shrivenham, Oxfordshire on 14 August last year. Al-Shamie went on to attack worshippers at Heaton Park Synagogue in Crumpsall, Manchester, on 2 October, which resulted in the deaths of two men.

Bashir will be sentenced on 20 and 21 July at Manchester Crown Court.

Three other charges of disseminating terrorist publications on WhatsApp will be allowed to lie on file, the court heard.

Melvin Cravitz and Adrian Daulby were killed after 35-year-old Al-Shamie, from Prestwich, drove his Kia Picanto into the gates of the synagogue and began attacking people with a knife.

Al Shamie, who was wearing a fake suicide belt, was killed by police gunfire at the scene.

Detectives discovered that earlier that year Bashir had taken Al-Shamie on a long drive from Manchester to Oxfordshire to do a reconnaissance on the Academy, which trains personnel from the British military and Civil Service as well as foreign students.

They stopped at the site for just 13 minutes and returned home the same day, a journey of 10 hours.

Bashir went to Pakistan following the synagogue attack, but was arrested at Manchester Airport when he returned.

Detectives were able to analyse both Bashir's phone and one belonging to Al Shamie. Despite both men's attempts to delete data, evidence was found of them having a "shared mindset".

Bashir shared a video called Virtues of Martyrs and another called Obstacles in the Path of Jihad on a WhatsApp group, in addition to a series of lectures called The Book of Jihad.

Bashir was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing in July.

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