Man from Bradford jailed for 12 years for terrorism offences
Asim Majid, 30, of Cranbourne Road, Heaton, possessed and shared graphic films including videos which depicted suicide bombings, guidance on how to use a knife to kill, and images of dead soldiers, some of which were shared among a group of “trusted contacts”.
Leeds Crown Court heard how the material was designed to inspire others to “fight for the cause of Islamic State”.
Prosecutors told how the father-of-one owned a publication, titled How To Survive In The West, which promised to teach readers “how to be a secret agent who lives a double life, something which Muslims will have to do to survive in the coming years”.
Following a two-week trial, Majid was convicted of two counts of possessing documents likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism, as well as eight counts of disseminating terrorist publications.
He was also found guilty by a jury of a single charge of transferring money knowing that it may be used for terrorism.
The court heard how Majid sent £280 to a contact in Pakistan earlier this year, and although the purpose of funding was still “shrouded in mystery”, the recipient came to own an AK47, a weapon he had discussed with the defendant.
Sentencing him yesterday, Judge Tom Bayliss told the defendant: “You lived to all outward purposes what was a very normal life. Those who knew you, including your wife, could have had little idea of what you harboured within you.
“You were undoubtedly a man with strong terrorist sympathies.
“What you were doing was acting as a propagandist for Islamic State and I have no doubt that you intended that people would look at that material, and that they would be inspired to fight for the cause of Islamic State.”
The judge added: “You knew perfectly well what you were doing, and you knew perfectly well the devastating impact that your actions might have had.”
During the trial, prosecutor Simon Davis told jurors: “While seemingly living and working a normal life in Bradford, the defendant was, we say, actively engaged online in disseminating, sharing, spreading – however you want to put it – weblinks to videos.”
The prosecutor explained how one of the films Majid owned was “particularly graphic and gruesome.”
Detective Chief Superintendent Martin Snowden, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East, said; “The materials in Majid’s possession that he shared clearly demonstrates support for extremist views and ideologies and he actively sought to influence others in believing the same. So prolific were his online discussions and communications with others, our officers retrieved 4,741 chats consisting of 114,917 messages from one of the several multi-media online platforms he was using. Daesh and other Terrorist groups rely heavily on their propaganda being shared online to encourage support, radicalise, and provoke individuals to carry out attacks abroad and in the UK. By sharing and possessing such materials, and knowingly sending funds to support terrorism in Majid has now received a substantial prison sentence.”
Source: Telegraph & Argus
