Teachers didn’t report terrorist who had Osama bin Laden as phone screen

Isle of Wight music festival – David Jensen/PA

A teenage terrorist who wanted to attack the Isle of Wight music festival was not reported to the authorities by teaching staff, despite having a picture of Osama bin Laden as his phone background, a court has heard.

The 15-year-old schoolboy was monitored closely by five tutors at a specialist education provider after converting to Islam in late 2021.

One teacher noticed he had a photograph of Bin Laden as his screensaver but dismissed it, saying he “was often trying to shock people with what he said”.

Staff also expressed concern about his membership of an online anti-gay group, but decided against referring him to Prevent, the Government’s deradicalisation programme, when he became angry.

On Monday a judge ordered that the schoolboy, who is now 16, should be detained for seven years after he was convicted of one count of preparing acts of terrorism, three counts of disseminating terrorist publications and one count of possessing a knife in public.

Kingston Crown Court heard how the teenager – who cannot be named because of his age – “obsessively” researched carrying out a terror attack at the Isle of Wight music festival, looking up weapons, vehicles and stab vests.

But jurors heard how his plans were foiled because he could not drive and did not have access to a vehicle. He then drew up plans to stab the tutors who worked with him at the specialist education provider.

His trial heard how his ideology was influenced by the terrorist group Daesh, or Islamic State, in Iraq and the Levant.

Osama bin Laden at a news conference in Khost, Afghanistan in 1998 – Mazhar Ali Khan/AP

But he was caught when FBI agents who were monitoring the messaging app, Discord, spotted some of his posts and alerted UK counter-terror police.

The court had previously heard the defendant is autistic but “bright, articulate and capable of exchanging ideas with others”.

Rossano Scamardella KC, defending, said: “The Isle of Wight Festival came and went, he was a boy who couldn’t drive, who had no access to a car, and we say the fact that the festival came and went must be relevant to the issue of culpability.”

He asked the court to distinguish between “obsessive research and genuine preparation for acts of terrorism”.

Mrs Justice McGowan sentenced the defendant to seven years detention with a one-year period of extended licence, as well as a 10-year notification period.

‘Toxic rhetoric’

She said: “You are still young and you have a number of conditions which make it hard for you to think through the consequences. You are intelligent and you have the potential to make something good with your life.”

She added: “You thought about killing two people who had offended you and your religion but both had tried to help you. The insults made you feel that you were entitled to punish them.”

Det Chf Supt Olly Wright, head of Thames Valley Police’s Counter Terrorism Policing South East, said: “We know that terrorist groups use their toxic rhetoric to try to exploit vulnerable people.

“This case was particularly concerning because a teenager had gone so far as taking active steps to prepare for an attack. Thanks to a swift response we were able to stop him, and he has now been sentenced to imprisonment as a result of his actions.

“Where we can, we really do prefer to intervene early and divert young people away from extremism long before it gets to this point.

“So if you are worried that someone you know is being drawn down a path of extremism, please do act by telling someone. There is support and advice available through ACT Early and Action Counters Terrorism.”

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