Man found guilty of plotting Lee Rigby-style knife attack

Planned attack: Nadir Syed planned to carry out an attack around Remembrance Sunday last year
Metropolitan Police
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A man has been convicted of plotting to carry out a Lee Rigby-style terrorist attack ahead of Remembrance Sunday last year.

Nadir Syed, 22, of Southall, was arrested on November 6 last year, hours after he bought a chef’s knife after being inspired by a chilling IS fatwa, a court heard.

He had planned to launch the attack in London after listening to a speech by IS spokesman Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, which also urged extremists to target France.

Jurors were told he admired the killers of Fusilier Lee Rigby, that he was inspired by ISIL, and that he had tried and failed to get to Syria.

Dressed in a burgundy sweatshirt and wearing an Islamic skullcap he showed no reaction as he was found guilty of preparation of terrorist acts following a trial at Woolwich Crown Court.

The jury spent 50 hours and 56 minutes in deliberations.

The jury was unable to reach verdicts on co-defendents Haseeb Hamayoon, 28, and Yousaf Syed, 20, and a retrial has been ordered.

Yousaf Syed from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, and Hamayoon from Hayes, west London, denied planning acts of terrorism.

Commander Richard Walton, head of the Met's Counter Terrorism Command (SO15) said: "This was an intense and lengthy operation by my officers, supported by the intelligence agencies, and I have no doubt that London is a safer place today with this conviction.

"We continue to appeal to those in the Muslim community to talk to us about anyone they know who is demonstrating an extremist mindset linked to ISIL.

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