A Muslim convert who researched military locations and threatened to “flatten” a mosque in a terror attack has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 16 years.

Jason Savage was found guilty in January of plotting to stab an Islamic cleric who was an outspoken critic of terrorism, after jurors were shown footage of him filming a reconnaissance “mission” near a mosque and Islamic bookstore.

The 35-year-old, of Fourth Avenue, Small Heath, Birmingham, was jailed at the city’s Crown Court on Friday after a judge said messages he had sent showed that he believed he would die while committing a terrorist attack.

Passing sentence on Savage, High Court Judge Mrs Justice Farbey said she was sure the defendant had identified the police and military as targets but that his “primary focus” was the Birmingham-based cleric.

The judge told Savage, who suffers from an emotionally unstable personality disorder: “I am sure that you were actively planning an Isis-inspired lone wolf attack, meaning that you were not a member of Isis but were motivated to carry out a violent attack by yourself.

“I am sure that you were ready and willing to carry out a deadly attack by using a knife.”

The judge said the offending in the case was so serious that a life sentence was required, adding: “I accept you may not always be able to exercise appropriate judgement in the heat of the moment, however your offending took place over a number of days and cannot be described as impulsive.”

Video footage released by West Midlands Police after Savage was convicted showed him filming reconnaissance near a mosque in Wright Street, Small Heath, Birmingham, in March last year.

On the video, Savage recorded himself saying: “That seems like the best way to get away – the police will probably come from that way.”

As well as charting different routes into the mosque, Savage, who had adapted the handle of a knife found at his home, was heard to say: “Just needs the means now.

“Ask Allah to give man the means bro.”

A three-week trial was told Savage was arrested shortly after sending online messages to someone he did not know was an undercover officer, saying he was waiting to see what “opportunities come to present itself”.

Jurors also heard that Savage had taken screenshots of the West Midlands Police headquarters, police stations in Perry Barr and Stechford and various military locations in Birmingham, and told the undercover officer he was putting his neck on a “chopping block”.

Prosecutors said Savage, who converted to Islam in 2012, carried out reconnaissance with a view to attacking a cleric, bookstore and mosque in the Small Heath area, whose approach to the Salafi movement was “entirely at odds” with his own.

The mosque, store and publishing house advocated a strand of Salafism that stresses the importance of non-involvement in social or political activism, the court heard, while the cleric was an “outspoken critic” of Islamist terrorism, arguing that it was entirely incompatible with the true essence of Islam.

At some point in early 2024, the trial heard, Savage broke the handle off a kitchen knife and replaced it with cloth, before changing his social media status to “Lone Wolf”.

Shortly before his arrest, Savage had messaged the undercover officer, referring to seeing him in “paradise” and telling him he would send him videos over the “next couple of days” which he asked be “propagated” to reach the right people.

Savage, who was convicted of a single count of engaging in conduct in preparation for terrorist acts on or before March 14 last year, said “no problem” as he was led away to the cells.

The sentencing judge was told his criminal history started with a 2002 arson conviction, when he was aged 12, before convictions for 20 other offences, including a violent armed robbery.

Prosecutor Peter Ratliff said Savage had in the past set fire to furniture in his cell and posted social media messages saying he was delighted to hear prison staff had been “stabbed up” after what he claimed was a plot against Muslim inmates.

Savage has also been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder following childhood trauma, the court was told.

Commenting on the case, Bethan David, head of the Counter Terrorism Division of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Jason Savage actively plotted to attack a cleric whose views he disagreed with, and other people.

“The CPS will continue to work to ensure those that plan to commit violent acts in the name of ideology and extremism are prosecuted.”

A homegrown terrorist considered launching a mass gun attack on the late Queen’s funeral after converting to Islam in prison, a court has heard.

Edward Little, 22, rejected the plan as “too late” and instead decided to target a Christian preacher at Speaker’s Corner in London’s Hyde Park, the Old Bailey heard.

He discussed his plans including his desire to get hold of a Mac-10 submachine gun and AK-47 assault rifle with extremists in encrypted chats on the Threema messaging platform.

At one point, he wrote: “I don’t think there has been an attack in the UK with guns so a semi-automatic rifle would send a even stronger message.”

On September 18 last year, Little identified the Queen’s funeral – due to be held at Westminster Abbey the following day – as a possible target.

It was suggested that “tyrants of the earth” would be there, to which Little responded: “I was just thinking that but unfortunately it’s too late.”

Days later, on September 23, Little was arrested en route to buy a gun for £5,000 having taken a taxi from Brighton to London.

Little, from Pelham Street, Brighton, pleaded guilty to preparing acts of terrorism and appeared at the Old Bailey on Monday by video-link from HMP Full Sutton in Yorkshire.

Opening the facts of the case against him, Duncan Penny KC said: “The defendant is an Islamic extremist who planned to murder the Christian preacher Hatun Tash at Speaker’s Corner in Hyde Park.

“The defendant planned to murder those who were with Hatun Tash, and any police officers or soldiers who were in the area.”

UK-born Little was said to have converted to Islam at Cookham Wood Young Offender Institution in Kent and at HMP Deerbolt in County Durham, after he turned 18.

Last summer, he downloaded extremist propaganda including copies of the al-Qaida publication Inspire.

In his chats on Threema, he referred to Hasham Tash as an “evil witch” and said he could shoot her “point blank” and “everyone with her”.

He suggested that with the money he had and his ability to get more weapons he “should strike a bigger target”.

He spoke of wanting to buy a Mac-10 “so I can spray it at them and then use pistol for police”.

But he added that the “problem with the macs is that they are too quick and it runs out very quik”.

Little said he would wear a camera so he could live-stream the attack.

On September 17, Little revealed that he “100%” had a “brother in prison” who would be joining in the “operation”.

He said he would travel to London for reconnaissance and see if it was best to “have us hit separate targets”.

On September 23, Little agreed to pay a taxi driver £300 to take him from Brighton to Lewisham, south London, saying money was no problem.

On his arrest, he was carrying a rucksack with £5,000 in cash, a passport and two mobile phones.

Little declined to answer questions in police interviews but his mood changed when he was shown a YouTube view of the preacher.

He launched himself from his chair across the table at an officer, swinging repeatedly with his fists before being restrained.

He went on to admit assaulting the officer at Newbury Police Station last September 28 and was sentenced to eight months in prison.

At the hearing on Monday, Little also pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent to a fellow inmate at Belmarsh prison on April 3.

Little attacked the victim with boiling water mixed with sugar and two razor blades for “disrespecting” his religion.

The defendant had been convicted of 14 offences in seven separate cases, including for robbery, having a knife and drug dealing, dating back to 2017.

Mrs Justice McGowan adjourned sentencing to a date to be fixed for a report to be prepared on Little’s future risk and for him to be given the opportunity to attend court in person.

Read more: The Queen’s Speech: The Counter-Terrorism Implications

A teenage Islamic State fanatic has been jailed for life for plotting a terror attack on British police officers or soldiers after being radicalised online in the pandemic.

Muslim convert Matthew King, 19, expressed a desire to kill military personnel as he prepared to stake out a British Army barracks in Stratford, east London.

He discussed his plans and shared a “gory fantasy” with an online girlfriend with whom he struck up an adolescent flirtation, the Old Bailey heard.

His desires to launch an attack in Britain or travel to Syria to join so-called Islamic State were thwarted when his mother reported him to the Prevent counter-terrorism programme.

Authorities were also tipped off through an anti-terrorist hotline after he posted a video on a WhatsApp group on April 13 last year.

While in custody, King had made a violent threats to “behead an imam” and “kill and chop up staff”, the Old Bailey was told.

In January, King, from Wickford in Essex, pleaded guilty to preparation of terrorist acts between December 22 2021 and May 17 2022.

On Friday, he was handed a discretionary life sentence with a minimum term of six years in the first terrorism sentencing in England and Wales to be televised.

Judge Mark Lucraft KC praised King’s mother, saying: “She took the very bold step of alerting Prevent when she had concerns for her son. That cannot have been an easy thing to do in the first place and in my view she absolutely the right thing.”

Judge Lucraft found King was a dangerous offender and carried a risk of future harm to the public, despite claims by his barrister the defendant was on the path to deradicalisation.

In mitigation, Hossein Zahir KC said King was “immature” and the prospect he would carrying out either of his terrorist plans were “remote”.

The defence barrister argued that despite incidents of “offensive and abusive” behaviour in custody, King was “slowly and steadily” disengaging from the excesses of extremism.

After the sentencing, Scotland Yard described King as a “committed, self-initiated terrorist” who was “self-radicalised” online during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Commander Dominic Murphy, who leads the Met’s counter terrorism command, said: “We had seen an escalation in Matthew King’s behaviour, in his reconnaissance, in his online activity.

“I genuinely believe this was an imminent terrorist attack. Without the public’s help and without the efficient investigation of my officers, officers from the eastern region and members of the intelligence community, we wouldn’t have been able to disrupt what, for me, was an imminent attack.”

Setting out the facts at a previous hearing, prosecutor Paul Jarvis had described how King had developed an “entrenched Islamist extremist mindset”.

In his early teens, King “dabbled with drugs” and was expelled from school after becoming aggressive, eventually leaving education entirely at the age of 16.

Around 2020, he became interested in Islam, began to attend mosques and watched Muslim videos on YouTube.

By May 2021, his family noticed he had become more extreme and his mother became concerned he was watching material online promoting hatred, Mr Jarvis said.

He had developed a friendship with a girl – identified in court only as Miss A – who he met online.

He spoke of wanting to get his hands on an American or British Marine and told the girl: “I just wanna die a martyr.”

When Miss A appeared to support and encourage him, King responded: “I guess jihadi love is powerful. I just want to kill people.”

In further graphic chat, Miss A talked about torturing, mutilating and beheading a soldier and then cutting up the body parts.

As part of his terror attack planning, King had set up an online account with the retailer Knife Warehouse, searched for IS tactical training videos in the use of knives and bought “tactical gloves” and goggles.

On one occasion, he went into his sister’s bedroom dressed up in his combat outfit and asked if she liked his clothes.

King made videos as he checked out potential targets including Stratford army barracks, police officers outside Stratford Magistrates’ Court and at the railway station.

Some of his hostile reconnaissance videos were overlaid with nasheeds – Islamic chants – and he posted on Snapchat: “Target acquired”.

Meanwhile, King had searched the internet for terrorist killers including the Manchester Arena bomber and Jihadi John.

While planning acts of terrorism in Britain, King had also expressed a desire to join Islamic State in Syria and sought advice on a WhatsApp group about the best way to get there.

Authorities were alerted after King posted on WhatsApp an image of a male holding a knife with the words: “Those who said that there is no jihad and no battle. They are lying!”

King was arrested at his home on May 18 last year by officers from the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command.

He described his former Islamic name as “Abdul Kalashnikov” and told police: “The only thing which is black and white is the sharia, the law of Allah.”

King’s barrister told the court that more recent conversations with his supportive family showed signs the defendant was turning away from his radical beliefs.

And in a prison phone call, King told his mother: “I’m not extreme anymore.”

A Muslim convert nicknamed “The Eagle” has been jailed for at least 15 years for planning a “spectacular” terror attack on Oxford Street in London.

Lewis Ludlow, 27, swore allegiance to Islamic State as he prepared to drive a van through London’s shopping district or Madame Tussauds.

The former Royal Mail worker, who called himself “The Eagle” and “The Ghost”, bought a phone under a false name and wrote down his attack plans, which were later found ripped up in a bin.

He identified Oxford Street as an “ideal” spot, writing: “It is expected nearly 100 could be killed in the attack.”

Last year, he pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to plotting an attack in the UK and funding IS abroad.

Judge Nicholas Hilliard QC jailed Ludlow for life with a minimum term of 15 years.

Ludlow was also sentenced to a further seven years in prison to run concurrently for the funding offence.

The judge said Ludlow had been engaged in preparations for a “spectacular” multi-casualty attack “with the intention of causing death or terror”.

He told the defendant: “Your commitment at the time we are concerned with to violent extremism ran very deep and for some time.

“There could be no other explanation for your preparing to kill innocent people in a vehicle attack for ideological reasons.”

Judge Hilliard rejected the suggestion Ludlow had been coerced by an Islamic State supporter in the Philippines, saying the defendant was “nobody’s fool”.

He added: “I do not regard you as suggestible or easily taken advantage of. You were well able to resist the Prevent programme.”

The court heard how Ludlow, from Rochester in Kent, first came to the attention of police in 2010 when he attended a demonstration led by radical preacher Anjem Choudary and his banned Al-Muhajiroun (ALM) group.

When he was arrested in 2015, IS material was found on Ludlow’s electronic devices but no further action was taken.

In January 2018, he bought a ticket to fly to the Philippines on February 3 but was stopped at the airport and had his passport seized.

Having set up a PayPal account and a fake Facebook site called Antique Collections, he sent money to an IS supporter, Abu Yaqeen, in the Philippines.

Ludlow also turned his attention to launching an attack in Britain, with encouragement from Yaqeen, the court heard.

He visited an internet cafe in Vauxhall Bridge Road in central London where he searched online for shopping centres, Oxford Street and the Isis flag.

Police later recovered torn-up scraps of paper from Ludlow’s bin detailing potential attack sites, including Madame Tussauds, Oxford Street, St Paul’s Cathedral and a “Shia temple in Romford”.

He detailed a potential attack on Oxford Street using a van mounting the pavement, noting the lack of safety barriers.

He wrote: “Wolf should either use a ram attack or use … on the truck to maximise death … it is a busy street it is ideal for an attack. It is expected nearly 100 could be killed in the attack.”

On April 13 Ludlow’s mobile phone was retrieved from a storm drain and found to have videos of the defendant swearing allegiance to IS and evidence of “hostile reconnaissance”.

When Ludlow was arrested by counter-terrorism police he refused to explain himself in interview.

Following his guilty plea, autistic Ludlow told how he rejected an MI5 advance in March 2017 but agreed to engage with the Prevent programme.

He became “bitter” and “heartbroken” when he was barred from going to the Philippines, he said: “I felt that I was trapped like an animal unable to escape its cage.”

At first, Abu Yaqeen asked for money then talked him into plotting an attack in Britain, saying “you have to kill them”, he claimed.

Ludlow told the court: “I said no at first, I did not want to because I felt this was a bit scary and then he said, ‘You have to do it. You have to kill them, make them pay in blood, you must get revenge. They are not innocent. They deserve to die’.

“He said the best way to do so was using a ram attack. He said in order to achieve such a spectacular attack we should use a truck bomb attack to achieve the necessary effect.

“He said to me, ‘Don’t you want to die a martyr? They deserve it’.”