This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-47774889
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Syria trip pair guilty of preparing terrorist acts | Syria trip pair guilty of preparing terrorist acts |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Two men who tried to get into Islamic State-controlled Syria have been found guilty of preparing terrorist acts. | Two men who tried to get into Islamic State-controlled Syria have been found guilty of preparing terrorist acts. |
| Hanzalah Patel and Safwaan Mansur, both 22, were arrested at an Istanbul hotel in June 2017, after contacting a US agent posing as an IS sympathiser. | Hanzalah Patel and Safwaan Mansur, both 22, were arrested at an Istanbul hotel in June 2017, after contacting a US agent posing as an IS sympathiser. |
| Birmingham Crown Court heard the pair, who denied the charges, claimed the talk was just "thoughts and banter". | |
| The jury returned its verdicts after less than an hour of deliberation and the pair will be sentenced on 25 April. | The jury returned its verdicts after less than an hour of deliberation and the pair will be sentenced on 25 April. |
| The court heard Patel, of Frederick Road in Leicester, and Mansur, of Hampton Road in Birmingham, first travelled to Istanbul in 2016, with the aim of getting into Syria. | |
| They returned home after a contact failed to answer calls but went back the following year. | They returned home after a contact failed to answer calls but went back the following year. |
| The court heard in May 2017, Mansur was in contact with a user of the encrypted messaging site Telegram - who was in fact working for the US government - to discuss crossing the border into Syria. | |
| When the two men arrived in Istanbul, the contact told them he would send someone to help but once they revealed their whereabouts they were arrested. | |
| A search of their luggage revealed camping equipment and outdoor survival gear, the court heard. | A search of their luggage revealed camping equipment and outdoor survival gear, the court heard. |
| Patel said he wanted to go there to "big myself up" on returning after taking some pictures and talking to local people. | Patel said he wanted to go there to "big myself up" on returning after taking some pictures and talking to local people. |
| Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk. | Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk. |