Articles by Duncan Gardham

Apostasy

Moroccan asylum seeker guilty of murdering stranger in rampage told officers it was ‘for the people of Gaza’ Ahmed Ali Alid, 45, told police after his arrest that the attack was 'for the people of Gaza' and that if he had access to a machine gun he would have killed more people.

April 25, 2024   

(Sky News) A Moroccan asylum seeker has been found guilty of murdering a stranger in a rampage motivated by the conflict in Gaza. Ahmed Ali Alid, 45, attempted to kill his housemate, a Christian convert, stabbing him in his bed as he […]

Apostasy

Footage shows police arrive at hostel before man ‘killed pensioner for Gaza’ Muslim Ahmed Alid is charged with stabbing Terence Carney, 70, who was out walking in Hartlepool town centre, eight days after Hamas launched its attack on Israel.

April 16, 2024   

(Sky News) Footage has been shown to a jury of the moment armed police arrived at a hostel before a Moroccan asylum seeker stabbed a pensioner in the street “for Gaza.” Ahmed Ali Alid, 45, allegedly attempted to kill his housemate, Javed […]

Apostasy

Moroccan asylum seeker Ahmed Ali Alid murdered ‘defenceless pensioner’ in rampage motivated by Gaza, court hears The 45-year-old is accused of attempting to kill his housemate, a former Muslim who converted to Christianity, before stabbing pensioner Terence Carney to death in Hartlepool.

April 11, 2024   

(Sky News) A Moroccan asylum seeker murdered a “defenceless” pensioner in a rampage motivated by the conflict in Gaza, a court has heard. Ahmed Ali Alid, 45, attempted to kill his housemate, Javed Nouri, a former Muslim who converted to Christianity, because […]

Government & Politics

Khairi Saadallah: MI5 ‘triaged’ terrorist four times but Reading stabbings could not have been stopped, inquest hears Despite the amount of intelligence the security service had on Khairi Saadallah, a senior manager at MI5 said no 'proportionate actions' could have been taken that would have prevented the terrorist attack.

February 19, 2024   

(Sky News) MI5 “triaged” a violent offender four times before he carried out a terrorist knife attack and killed three men in a park in Reading, an inquest has heard. The agency received intelligence including threats by Khairi Saadallah to “blow himself […]

Law Enforcement

Khairi Saadallah: Police officer unaware terrorist had knife in flat day before Reading attack, inquest told Recalling the visit to Khairi Saadallah, PC Lewis Perham told the inquest he 'didn't believe he was in crisis when I met him' and was able to hold a conversation.

February 14, 2024   

(Sky News) A police officer who paid a “welfare visit” to a violent offender the day before he launched a terrorist attack has described how he was unaware the man had a knife for the attack in his flat. Khairi Saadallah was […]

Law Enforcement

Khairi Saadallah: Brother of terrorist warned police he could ‘harm himself or others’ day before he killed three, inquest told The brother — a care worker in his mid-30s — said police had visited Khairi Saadallah the evening before the attack, who dismissed concerns about him.

January 24, 2024   

(Sky News) The brother of a terrorist who killed three people in a park in Reading rang police the day before the attack, warning he “could harm himself or others,” an inquest has been told. Khairi Saadallah stabbed to death three men […]

Academics & Education

Schoolboy arrested with kitchen knife in rucksack as he prepared ‘imminent’ attack on teacher, court hears The schoolboy, who cannot be named, had allegedly previously planned an attack at the Isle of Wight music festival using a pickup truck and knife, but dropped the plan.

January 17, 2024   

(Sky News) A 15-year-old schoolboy who converted to Islam was arrested with a kitchen knife in his rucksack as he prepared for an “imminent” attack on one of his teachers who made a joke about pork, a court has heard. The schoolboy, […]

Academics & Education

Schoolboy planned attack on music festival and said he would ‘slice’ throat of teacher, court hears A jury has heard that a teenage Muslim convert looked up the Isle of Wight Festival as a potential target for a terror attack after developing an 'Islamic extremist mindset.'

January 16, 2024   

(Sky News) A 15-year-old schoolboy, who converted to Islam, planned to attack the Isle of Wight music festival using a vehicle and knife, a court has heard. The youth, who cannot be named, was arrested on the day of his alleged planned […]

News: Europe

Reading terror attack: ‘Time has stood still since stabbing,’ family of man killed tell inquest Khairi Saadallah was sentenced to a whole life order after he stabbed three men to death at Forbury Gardens, Reading, in June 2020.

January 15, 2024   

(Sky News) The family of a man stabbed to death in a park in Reading during a terrorist attack have told the opening of an inquest that “time has stood still” since the attacks. Khairi Saadallah, a Libyan refugee, stabbed three men […]

Legal

Man accused of terror spying trip to London claims he took video of TV station in ‘wonder’ of architecture Magomed-Husejn Dovtaev, 31, is on trial at the Old Bailey charged with attempting to collect information useful for terrorism. He claims he was 'in wonder' at the architecture in West London and was 'set up.'

December 14, 2023   

(Sky News) A Chechen-born man accused of being an “international terrorist” conducting hostile reconnaissance against a dissident Iranian TV station in West London has claimed he was “set up.” Magomed-Husejn Dovtaev, 31, is accused of conducting surveillance on Iran International at the […]

Legal

Russian-speaking man accused of ‘hostile reconnaissance’ for TV station terror attack told police he was sightseeing in London Magomed-Husejn Dovtaev told security guards outside Iran International's former headquarters in Chiswick that he was in the area to visit a friend and to go sightseeing in London.

December 12, 2023   

(Sky News) A Russian-speaking man accused of conducting hostile reconnaissance for a terrorist attack on a dissident Iranian TV station in West London told police he was on a weekend sightseeing visit in the capital, a court has heard. Magomed-Husejn Dovtaev, 31, […]

Health & Medicine

Man accused of planning terror attack on Leeds hospital admits possessing pressure cooker bomb Mohammad Farooq, 28, pleads guilty to a charge of possessing an explosive substance with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury to property. He denies engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts after allegedly planning attacks on St James's Hospital and an RAF base.

October 20, 2023   

(Sky News) A clinical support worker accused of planning terrorist attacks on a hospital in Leeds and an RAF base has admitted possessing a pressure cooker bomb. Mohammad Farooq is accused of targeting St James’s Hospital in Leeds after a failed attempt […]

Health & Medicine

Man pleads guilty to terrorism offences ahead of trial for allegedly planning attack on St James’s hospital in Leeds Mohammad Farooq, 27, is accused of taking a pressure cooker bomb to St James's Hospital in Leeds after a failed attempt to launch a terrorist attack on RAF Menwith Hill in North Yorkshire, motivated by an interest in radical Islam.

October 16, 2023   

(Sky News) A clinical support worker has pleaded guilty to terrorism offences ahead of his trial for allegedly planning an attack on a maternity hospital in Leeds and an RAF station in North Yorkshire. Mohammad Farooq, 27, from Roundhay in Leeds, is […]

Government & Politics

Manchester Arena bombing inquiry: Chairman raises concerns about slow uptake of recommendations to monitor security services Chairman Sir John Saunders has suggested ways to track the progress of MI5 and Counter Terrorism Policing including an unpaid check-up meeting by his inquiry team.

July 4, 2023   

(Sky News) There is no mechanism to make sure improvements have been made by MI5 after they made “mistakes” over the Manchester Arena bombing, the chairman of the inquiry has said. Sir John Saunders said there is no agreement on how to […]

Legal

Financial analyst jailed after creating bomb factory in a lock-up Asad Bhatti was described in court as a loner who had a deep-seated hatred for those he considered as 'hypocrites' — along with others for their ethnicity and sexuality. He was convicted of having a stash of bomb-making materials after police received a tip-off from a computer repair shop.

June 12, 2023   

(Sky News) A financial analyst from Surrey has been jailed for eight years for terrorism offences after he was caught with a bomb factory in a lock-up when he took his laptop in for repair. Asad Bhatti, 50, from Redhill, who worked […]

Internet

Twitter user who published image of severed head sentenced to five and a half years in prison As well as tweeting out a picture of French teacher Samuel Paty's severed head, he also sought to encourage attacks on the governments of countries he believed to be 'acting against Islam,' the prosecutor said.

May 11, 2023   

(Sky News) A Twitter user has been jailed for more than five years after using the platform to publish images encouraging the beheading of teachers for blasphemy against Islam. Ajmal Shahpal, 41, from Nottingham, made the comments shortly after a teacher was […]

Legal

Shabazz Suleman: British IS recruit who claimed he spent time in Syria ‘on Playstation’ pleads guilty to terror offence Shabazz Suleman, who was arrested after returning to Heathrow in 2021, previously insisted he spent most of his three years in terrorist territory playing PlayStation and riding his bike.

April 14, 2023   

(Sky News) A former grammar school pupil has pleaded guilty to travelling to Syria to join Islamic State, despite previously claiming he had spent his time there playing computer games. Shabazz Suleman had just completed his AS-levels at a grammar school in […]

Academics & Education

Shamima Begum: Police and school ‘missed opportunities’ to stop her leaving UK, lawyers claim Questions have been raised over whether 'key indicators' that Ms Begum and her two school friends were at risk of being trafficked were missed.

November 22, 2022   

(Sky News) The police and her school missed opportunities to stop Shamima Begum travelling to Syria and joining ISIS and should have stopped her, according to her lawyers. There were questions about whether “key indicators” that Ms Begum and her two school […]

Children & Teens

Shamima Begum was sexually exploited by ISIS, appeal hearing told Ms Begum, now 23, left Britain with two friends from the Bethnal Green Academy in east London, who are thought to have been killed in the conflict.

November 21, 2022   

(Sky News) Shamima Begum, the jihadi bride, was trafficked by ISIS for sexual exploitation, her lawyers have told a hearing to appeal against her deprivation of citizenship. She launched her main appeal against the decision, with her lawyers telling a tribunal: “Shamima […]

Legal

Drill rapping ‘terrorist’ Al Arfat Hassan ‘threatened blood and torment if his girlfriend left him,’ court hears Al Arfat Hassan, 19, from Enfield, told his girlfriend he would 'blow sh*t up' if she broke up with him and told her she couldn't visit her eight-year-old cousin without wearing a veil.

October 18, 2022   

(Sky News) A drill rapping alleged terrorist threatened to bring “blood, terror and torment” when his girlfriend told her she was splitting up with him, a court has heard. Al Arfat Hassan, 19, had a series of arguments with a girl he […]

Demonstrations

Revealed: The breadcrumb trail that identified the IS ‘Beatles’ Police followed a 'trail of very small breadcrumbs' to identify the British terrorists, but one piece of information a hostage felt was 'fairly unremarkable' turned out to be hugely significant.

August 17, 2022   

(Sky News) Freed hostages were able to give British police key information identifying an IS kidnap gang nicknamed “The Beatles” which had held and tortured them, Scotland Yard has revealed. Officers have disclosed key breakthroughs that allowed them to identify the jihadis […]

Law Enforcement

Fishmongers’ Hall: Intelligence warned killer might attack on release — but it wasn’t widely circulated, inquest told Before Khan's release, a policeman's pocket book recorded he was a 'radicaliser of others' and in prison 'holds shariah court.'

May 19, 2021   

(Sky News) Intelligence warned the Fishmongers’ Hall killer might launch an attack on his release from prison — but it was not shared with his probation officer, an inquest has heard. Usman Khan was handed an indeterminate sentence in 2012 for plotting […]