A man from Manchester has pleaded guilty to preparing terrorist acts after a court was told he drove the individual who later carried out a fatal attack at a city synagogue on reconnaissance to a UK defence base.
Alleged reconnaissance and later violence
At Manchester Crown Court, prosecutors described how Mohammad Bashir, 31, provided a 10-hour round trip to assist Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, in conducting hostile reconnaissance at the UK Defence Academy in Shrivenham on 14 August last year. The court heard the pair then deliberately disposed of their mobile phones.
Less than two months later, on 2 October, Al-Shamie carried out an attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Crumpsall, in which two worshippers, Melvin Cravitz, 66, and Adrian Daulby, 53, were killed. Al-Shamie was subsequently shot dead by police.
“The attack that was being planned was of the sort that Jihad Al-Shamie in fact carried out on October 2, an attack involving weapons that would cause multiple fatalities and have national and international impact.”
Evidence and charges
Prosecutor Jonathan Polnay KC told the court that analysis of WhatsApp messages and voice notes recovered from two phones seized from Al-Shamie after earlier arrests showed the two men were close associates who shared an extremist outlook and regularly discussed "violent jihad". Bashir, of Shaftesbury Road, Cheetham, pleaded guilty last month to the preparation of terrorist acts.
Bashir, who is Manchester-born and also holds a Pakistani passport, has no previous convictions, the court heard. He was arrested at Manchester Airport on 27 November but was not charged in connection with the synagogue attack itself.
Local implications
The case underlines continuing concerns in Manchester about radicalisation and the connections that can exist between local residents and lethal acts of terror. It also highlights how policing and intelligence work — including analysis of seized phones and messaging apps — have played a role in tracing networks and activity prior to attacks.
- Who pleaded guilty: Mohammad Bashir, 31, of Shaftesbury Road, Cheetham.
- Associated attacker: Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, carried out the Heaton Park synagogue attack on 2 October.
- Target of reconnaissance: UK Defence Academy, Shrivenham, Swindon, 14 August.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 14 August | Reconnaissance trip to UK Defence Academy |
| 2 October | Synagogue attack in Heaton Park |
| 27 November | Bashir arrested at Manchester Airport |
As the case continues, the proceedings will be watched closely by local communities and by those involved in counter‑terrorism policing in Greater Manchester. The guilty plea to preparing terrorist acts will form part of the material the court considers in sentencing and in assessing the scale of the threat posed by the individuals involved.
