Key facts
- Mohammad Bashir, 31, pleaded guilty to preparing an act of terrorism.
- He must serve a minimum of 17 years before parole consideration.
- Bashir and an accomplice planned an attack on the UK's Defence Academy.
- The accomplice, Jihad Al-Shamie, carried out a fatal stabbing at a synagogue.
- Bashir scouted the Defence Academy with Al-Shamie two months before the synagogue attack.
- Greater Manchester Police acknowledged a missed opportunity by not reviewing evidence before the synagogue attack.
Mohammad Bashir, 31, has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 17 years before parole eligibility for plotting a terrorist attack on a British military academy. The investigation into a separate fatal synagogue stabbing attack uncovered evidence that Bashir and the attacker, Jihad Al-Shamie, had planned a similar assault on the UK's Defence Academy.
Bashir pleaded guilty at Manchester Crown Court to preparing an act of terrorism. Prosecutors stated that while Bashir was not involved in the synagogue attack, he and Al-Shamie had scouted the Defence Academy, discussing entry methods, weapons, and the use of a fake suicide vest to maximize casualties. Justice Bobbie Cheema-Grubb noted the plan was viable and intended to cause bloodshed.
Greater Manchester Police acknowledged a significant missed opportunity after discovering messages between Bashir and Al-Shamie on phones seized from the latter. The force has apologized for not reviewing this evidence prior to the synagogue attack, and the Independent Office for Police Conduct will examine whether this oversight could have prevented the earlier incident.