Rapping jihadi found guilty of plotting to run amok with sword during lockdown
Sahayb Abu had bought two blades, balaclavas, a camouflage hat and body armour online in readiness for the terror attack last summer, a court heard.
A rapping jihadi has been found guilty of plotting to run amok with an 18in sword during the coronavirus lockdown.
Jobless Sahayb Abu, 27, had bought two blades, balaclavas, a camouflage hat and body armour online in readiness for the terror attack last summer, the Old Bailey heard.
He was arrested on July 9 after discussing guns with an undercover police officer, who he met on a so-called Islamic State (IS) supporters’ Telegram chat group.
His brother, Muhamed Abu, 32, wept as he was cleared of failing to disclose information about a plot to authorities.
He appeared distressed at his sibling’s conviction, sobbing: “He’s a clown, he’s a buffoon.”
Mr Smith, head of the Met’s counter-terrorism command, said: “There is no doubt in my mind that Sahayb had murderous intent, some of that was evidenced from the kind of things that he was posting online and sharing with others, including his brother.”
The court heard how some of the defendants’ relatives had been linked to extremism in the past.
The court heard how the defendants’ half-brothers Wail and Suleyman Aweys went to Syria in 2015, where they are both believed to have died.
Two years later, the defendants were caught with their older half-brother Ahmed Aweys putting up poppy posters in east London saying British tax was used to “kill Muslims”.
Among them was IS supporter Husnain Rashid, who was jailed for at least 25 years in 2018 for calling for an attack on Prince George.
Sahayb Abu was released from prison on March 20 last year, and went from being “locked up to locked down” as the Covid-19 pandemic struck, jurors heard.
Over the next three months, Sahayb Abu trawled the internet for IS propaganda, including pictures of fighters in balaclavas with guns.
He spent his £400 monthly benefits on two balaclavas, body armour, gloves, a camouflage hat and two blades, including an 18in sword, paying extra to get it sharpened.
Addressing the camera, he said “What, are you talking to me?… Boom!”, in reference to the Robert De Niro line from the film Taxi Driver.
He boasted the balaclava would “do the job” and said he was “just waiting on the body armour… the body armour stop a bullet”.
In another disturbing rap, he described London Mayor Sadiq Khan as a “sell-out” and talked about murdered fusilier Lee Rigby.
He said: “I’m trying to see many Lee Rigby’s heads rolling on the ground, man I shoot up a crowd cos I’m a night stalker, got my shank got my guns straight Isis supporter, reject democracy…
“Got my suicide vest, one click, boom and I’ll see you later.”
He also posted extremist comments online and came to the attention of undercover officer Rachid via an exclusive IS supporters’ encrypted chat group on Telegram.
Sahayb said the time was coming to be an “action man rather than a chatty man” and commented “we need a 9/11 2.0”, in reference to the World Trade Centre attacks in New York.
By then, police took the decision to arrest the brothers on July 9 last year.
In a search of their father’s flat where Sahayb Abu had been living, a black IS flag was discovered.
In his defence, Sahayb Abu denied buying the sword and combat gear for a terror attack.
He dismissed extremist posts as “trolling” and claimed he joined the IS Telegram group to attract women with his “bravado”.
Sahayb Abu wanted to become famous like Stormzy, who wore a stab vest when he performed at Glastonbury, jurors were told
He claimed to hate IS, saying his interest in the terror group was for news of his lost half-brothers Wail and Suleyman Aweys.
His lawyer Michael Ivers QC said the personas – “merciless troll”, “Jihadi fan boy”, and “wannabe drill rapper” – all betrayed a desperate desire to be accepted.
Mr Ivers said: “If there was no lockdown there would be no trial, as simple as that.”
Autistic Muhamed Abu, of Norwood, south London, declined to give evidence, but in an outburst in the dock denied he was “anti-British”.
It was claimed on his behalf that the trainee plumber was “very upset” with his fantasist brother for landing him in the dock over his “bullshit”.
The defendants had no previous terror convictions but had been jailed for the same commercial burglary.
Sahayb Abu, of Dagenham, Essex, had also been caught drug dealing in France and having a knife.
His half-brother Ahmed Aweys, 35, was jailed for 25 months in 2019 for disseminating terrorist material.
His sister Asma Aweys was imprisoned for 19 months for collecting terrorist information, and her partner Abdulaziz Abu Munye received 15 months for dissemination.
Judge Mark Dennis QC remanded Sahayb Abu into custody to be sentenced on April 9.
