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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Jail for 'suicide vest' student | Jail for 'suicide vest' student |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A student has been jailed for a minimum of 10 years for plotting to blow himself up using his own "suicide vest" and home-made explosives. | A student has been jailed for a minimum of 10 years for plotting to blow himself up using his own "suicide vest" and home-made explosives. |
| Isa Ibrahim, from Bristol, was convicted at Winchester Crown Court of making explosives with intent and preparing terrorist acts in April 2008. | Isa Ibrahim, from Bristol, was convicted at Winchester Crown Court of making explosives with intent and preparing terrorist acts in April 2008. |
| He had denied both charges but pleaded guilty to a third charge of making an explosive substance. | He had denied both charges but pleaded guilty to a third charge of making an explosive substance. |
| Prosecutors said Ibrahim had planned to set off the blast in a shopping centre. | |
| Police said the case was a landmark one because it was the first time a tip-off from the Muslim community had led to a major anti-terrorism arrest. | |
| He was given an indeterminate sentence, with the judge saying he should serve a minimum of 10 years. | He was given an indeterminate sentence, with the judge saying he should serve a minimum of 10 years. |
| Mr Justice Butterfield told Ibrahim that, even though he had not made a detonation device or completed the suicide vest, "your preparation to inflict an atrocity on the innocent civilians of Bristol were advanced". | Mr Justice Butterfield told Ibrahim that, even though he had not made a detonation device or completed the suicide vest, "your preparation to inflict an atrocity on the innocent civilians of Bristol were advanced". |
| 'Lonely and angry' | 'Lonely and angry' |
| "You are a dangerous young man, well capable of acting on the views you held in the spring of 2008," he said. | "You are a dangerous young man, well capable of acting on the views you held in the spring of 2008," he said. |
| He said he considered Ibrahim to be a "continuing danger" to the public but gave a substantial discount on the minimum term imposed because he had acted alone and because of his age. | He said he considered Ibrahim to be a "continuing danger" to the public but gave a substantial discount on the minimum term imposed because he had acted alone and because of his age. |
| "You were, in my judgment, a lonely and angry young person at the time of these events, with a craving for attention," said the judge. | "You were, in my judgment, a lonely and angry young person at the time of these events, with a craving for attention," said the judge. |
| He had all the things he needed to make a viable explosive device. He was dangerous. Det Supt Nigel Rock How a loner became a would-be bomber | He had all the things he needed to make a viable explosive device. He was dangerous. Det Supt Nigel Rock How a loner became a would-be bomber |
| Police found a quantity of home-made high explosive HMTD, the same substance used in the 7 July attacks, in a container in the fridge of Ibrahim's home when he was arrested. | Police found a quantity of home-made high explosive HMTD, the same substance used in the 7 July attacks, in a container in the fridge of Ibrahim's home when he was arrested. |
| They also discovered an electrical circuit capable of detonating the explosive at short range and a half-made "suicide vest". | They also discovered an electrical circuit capable of detonating the explosive at short range and a half-made "suicide vest". |
| The prosecution said the Muslim convert was preparing to carry out a terrorist attack on the Broadmead shopping centre in Bristol, where he had been seen doing reconnaissance. | |
| Prosecutors said he became increasingly radicalised after converting to Islam, developing a "mindset of martyrdom" and changing his name from Andrew to Isa. | Prosecutors said he became increasingly radicalised after converting to Islam, developing a "mindset of martyrdom" and changing his name from Andrew to Isa. |
| Det Supt Nigel Rock: "The device he intended to manufacture was capable of causing serious injury" | Det Supt Nigel Rock: "The device he intended to manufacture was capable of causing serious injury" |
| He also researched fundamentalism on the internet and searched online for techniques to manufacture explosives from household products. | He also researched fundamentalism on the internet and searched online for techniques to manufacture explosives from household products. |
| Ibrahim had told the trial that he made explosives and "suicide vests" because it was "fun" and he was trying to "occupy time" while he struggled to beat an addiction to drugs. | Ibrahim had told the trial that he made explosives and "suicide vests" because it was "fun" and he was trying to "occupy time" while he struggled to beat an addiction to drugs. |
| He said he was "planning to set off an explosion but not hurt people". | He said he was "planning to set off an explosion but not hurt people". |
| Det Supt Nigel Rock of Avon and Somerset Police, said it was a landmark case as the initial information came from the Muslim community. | |
| "We will never know what the consequences would have been had the community not had the courage to contact the police. | |
| "But what we do know is that Ibrahim had all the components for a credible explosive device, he had increased the destructive power of that device the night before his arrest by obtaining shrapnel to add to it. | |
| "He had made a suicide vest and built the means of detonation. Finally he had identified a busy shopping centre in Bristol as his target. | |
| "The jury found he meant to detonate that bomb, intending to cause serious harm. There is no doubt people would have been killed." |