- Jamshed Javeed, 30, taught children at Sharples High School in Bolton
- Worried family confiscated his passport and belongings before his arrest
- He plotted to fight with rebels trying to overthrow al Assad in Syria
- Javeed's brother Mohammad Azzam is missing and presumed dead in Syria
- Teacher claims that MI5 repeatedly approached him and his family last year
Terror case: Science teacher Jamshed Javeed, 30, has admitted two Syria-related terror offences revealed to police after a row with his family
A science teacher today admitted plotting to fight with ISIS in Syria but was only stopped after his upset family confiscated his passport and told the police.
Radicalised father-of-two Jamshed Javeed, 30, taught 11 to 16-year-old pupils at Sharples High School in Bolton, Greater Manchester.
Police said the teacher was 'determined' to leave his job and fight alongside ISIS but his family, including his pregnant wife, confiscated his 'go bag' of money, supplies and his passport.
Jamshed Javeed had intended to travel with a man he had met only three months beforehand but could not travel without his documents.
When he applied for a new passport and received it last December anti-terror police swooped and arrested him.
He was planning to fly out imminently to Syria via Turkey with equipment he had bought for use on the battlefields.
His family pleaded with him not to travel to Syria but he told them he wanted to go regardless of their wishes.
It also emerged today Javeed was twice spoken to by MI5 agents as he plotted join ISIS and he knew 'they were keeping an eye on him' just before he was held.
The teacher was due to stand trial at Woolwich Crown Court today but instead pleaded guilty to two terror charges. He was remanded and will be sentenced in December.
His brother Mohammad Azzam, 19, is missing and presumed dead in Syria after travelling there last September.
Javeed also admitted today he transferred £1,400 into his brother's account to pay for his and a friend's flights to the warzone shortly before his own arrest.
The other man was Anil Khalil Raoufi, 20, from Didsbury, who died in the fighting earlier this year.
Police claim the previously 'law-abiding' married father-of-two 'started to support the Isis cause' from August last year.
Det Ch Supt Tony Mole, head of The North West Counter Terrorism Unit, said: 'What we have seen here is an interesting case of somebody who has lived quite a normal, stable family life with children – a school teacher leading on the face of it a fruitful life.
'But now he has pleaded guilty to two serious offences involving preparation of himself and others for terrorist offences – namely going to Syria to fight for ISIS.
'It is an interesting case because of the speed of the process.
'The evidence indicates he got together with a group determined to go out to Syria to fight and despite efforts of his family who were against him going out there, he was still determined to go.
'The earlier we can be aware from the communities of people that might be showing some signs of going out to meet terrorist groups, or engage with terrorist groups, the more we can do on the prevention side of the business.
'Anybody that goes out to ISIS, or get out to ISIS, is putting themselves, their family and therir communities in a very vulnerable position.
'It is a life-changing decision. There is a sector of society which is very vulnerable to this rhetoric and you only have to watch the news to see what this group is about.
'I still maintain that anybody who goes out there to fight with ISIS could potentially be a serious danger to their communities if they return, or try to return.
'By the time they have been trained out there, had experience, built up future friendships and fully engaged with that terrorist rhetoric – you can potentially become a dangerous individual.
'Hence we take a robust to anybody who engages in terrorist organisations.'
In his basis of guilty plea he claimed he was never warned he could be arrested for flying out to the Middle East.
It states: 'The defendant was spoken to by MI5 officers on two occasions in December 2013. On neither occasion was he told fighting with the opposition would constitute a terrorism offence under domestic law.
'He understood that MI5 wanted him to know that they were keeping an eye on him to ensure that he did not get involved in any unlawful activity within the UK.'
His school said it was in 'shock' today.
Headteacher Rachel Quesnel said: 'It came as a huge shock to be informed by the police that they had arrested a member of staff. We acted on the advice of the local authority and the police and suspended the individual.
This was a neutral act pending a police investigation, and in line with the council's HR procedures.
'There was no evidence whatsoever to link any criminal activity to our school or the wider community and no evidence to suggest that any pupils, staff or the wider community were under any kind of threat.
'We would like to reassure all our stakeholders that this was an isolated incident, involving one individual, and is in no way a reflection on Sharples School.'
Backing: Javeed admitted he paid for his brother and friend Anil Khalil Raoufi, 20, from Didsbury, who died in the fighting earlier this year, to fly to Syria
The 30-year-old from Levenshulme also admitted he funded his younger brother Mohammed and his friend to fly to the war ravaged country to take up arms against the Bashar al-Assad regime last September.
He had travelled to Syria with university student Anil Khalil Raoufi, 20, from Didsbury, who died in the fighting earlier this year.
Javeed says he discovered that his younger brother Mohammed Javeed was planning to join rebels in Syria in August or September last year.
He transferred a total of £1,400 to his brother's account, and accepts that £1,100 of that money would be used to fund Mohammed and a friend's travel to Syria.
The basis of plea says Jamshed Javeed did not 'recruit, advise or encourage' anyone to travel to Syria.
It says the defendant is a practising and sincere Muslim and 'not an extremist'.
He was said to have been 'deeply moved' by images and reports of 'extreme suffering of the Syrian people at the hands of (President) Bashar al-Assad's vicious regime'.
The basis of plea says: 'It was against this background, and influenced by his younger brother's decision, that Jamshed Javeed subsequently came to the conclusion that he should go to support the ordinary people of Syria.
'He accepts that this would have meant becoming involved in some fighting as well as humanitarian relief. He also acknowledges that he spent time on the internet looking at various websites and followed individuals on Twitter.
'But he does not have an 'extremist' mindset. His motivation was no more than to play a part in defeating Assad or at least repelling his army from attacking the civilian population.
He has no broader agenda than that. He had no interest in creating a new Islamic state.'
No comments:
Post a Comment