Teenage Islamic terrorist who pestered girls for sex while plotting Lee Rigby-style attack on British soldier

• Kazi Islam used his friend Harry Thomas to buy ingredients for a bomb
• The Old Bailey heard that Mr Thomas, 19, was 'highly impressionable' 
• Islam, then 17, also sent sexually explicit phone messages to women 
• Islam referred to the planned bomb in his text messages as 'cake'

A Muslim extremist has been found guilty of trying to mastermind a Lee Rigby-style terror plot by grooming a 'vulnerable' former schoolmate while at the same time sending sexually explicit text messages to young women.  

Kazi Islam, from Manor Park, east London sent messages to Harry Thomas, 19, praising Lee Rigby's killers and encouraging him to buy a knife to attack soldiers as well as the ingredients to make an explosive device. 

The court heard that Islam, 18, tried to coerce his friend to buy parts for a pipe bomb including fireworks, hydrogen peroxide, pipes, metal end caps and glue.

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Kazi Islam, left, tried to groom a young man into buying equipment to make a bomb and to murder a soldier

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At the same time, Islam was sending sexually explicit text messages to several young women 

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Officers raided Islam's home on July 24, 2014 where they found evidence relating to the terrorism plo

At the same time as trying to groom Mr Thomas, Islam was sending highly explicit messages over Blackberry messenger to girls he barely knew, it can be disclosed.

Islam, now 18, is said to have 'ruthlessly exploited' his former classmate Mr Thomas, 19, who had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and suffered from Asperger’s syndrome. 

When referring to the bomb components, Islam described them as 'cake', although Mr Thomas misunderstood and asked whether he was talking about the 'b o m b'.  

Mr Thomas was not charged with any offence.

Thomas was said to be a 'vulnerable and impressionable young man' who had few friends and was desperate to please Islam.

On December 20 2013, Islam messaged Thomas: 'When I give the order, I want you to kill a soldier…2 soldiers…Not yet though.'

During the same period, Islam also sent a message to a number of young women that it was 'National Shagging Day' and sent one girl a highly explicit message about a sex act, adding, when she turned him down: 'OK you won’t get pregnant though.' 

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Islam tried to cover up the bomb plot by using the euphemism 'cake' instead of explosives 

As he continued a conversation about buying bomb-making chemicals with Thomas, Islam sent another young woman an explicit message about another sex act. 

On December 23, Islam was talking to Thomas about buying components for a pipe bomb and messaging another girl about sex with her, referring to his 'sausage.'

Islam left school with no GCSEs and was under the same 'additional learning support assistant' as Thomas at Barking and Dagenham College in East London.

While studying for a BTEC diploma level 1 in information technology, Islam showed the assistant a video of an attack on an army truck by a Muslim suicide bomber.

After leaving college he lived next door to his parents in Manor Park, East London and went to work for a sports memorabilia company called Winning Moves in Paddington, West London,

But he also started attending meetings held by former members of the extremist group al-Muhajiroun and a fundamentalist group called Hizb ut-Tahrir, and to try and leave the country for Syria. 

Islam began exploiting Thomas’s vulnerability in October 2013 when Thomas messaged him to say his girlfriend had 'dumped' him.

While pretending to sympathise and chatting about girls, Islam “took the opportunity to quickly twist the conversation towards religion,” Miss Darlow said.

Over many months, Islam 'carefully groomed' Thomas, flattering him when he appeared willing to do his bidding and bullying, threatening and nagging him when he 'didn’t seem to be dancing to Islam’s tune' Annabel Darlow QC told the Old Bailey.

Thomas was a vulnerable, lonely and 'not particularly bright' young man who was desperate to impress Islam and to try to forge some sort of friendship with him, Miss Darlow said.

'Islam ruthlessly exploited to the utmost Thomas’s vulnerability and obvious wish to try and ingratiate himself with Islam,' she added.

'You may think that Mr Islam is a hardened, ruthless and manipulative individual, old beyond his years, who has an uncanny ability to sniff out and make use of the vulnerable in society for his own interests.'

ISLAM'S SEX-PEST TEXTS 

At the same time as grooming his former classmate to launch a terrorist attack, Kazi Islam was sending a series of sexually explicit text massages to young women he barely knew.

The messages asked the girls whether they were prepared to perform a variety of sex acts and when they refused he tried to goad them into it.

If they began a discussion on Blackberry Messenger, he would instantly ask for their phone number. The youngest girl said she was just 13.

Most of the messages were direct and to the point but in one message he referred euphemistically to his 'sausage.'

Islam, who was 17 at the time, sent a message to a number of young women that it was 'National Shagging Day' to see who would reply.

When one of them did, he told her she was 'very pretty' and asked why she was single.

'Because I’m a lesbian,' the girl replied, to which he responded: 'You don’t look it.'

Four days later Islam sent her a highly explicit message about a sex act, adding, when she turned him down: 'OK you won’t get pregnant though.'

Islam messaged Harry Thomas on December 20 2013: 'When I give the order, I want you to kill a soldier…2 soldiers…Not yet though.'

But at the same time as discussing the Woolwich attacks with Thomas, he was flirting with another girl telling her she was 'cute.'

As the conversation about buying bomb-making chemicals continued with Thomas the next day, Islam sent the young woman an explicit message about a sex act.

Two days later, on December 23, Islam was talking to Thomas about buying components for a pipe bomb and messaging another girl about sex with her, referring to his 'sausage'.

On December 26 he wrote another explicit message to a fourth girl and begged her for her phone number, at the same time asking Thomas to buy hydrogen peroxide for bomb-making. He then returned to messaging the third girl, asking to meet up.

'Plainly there are conversations of a sexual nature on a number of occasions shortly before, during or after conversations with Mr Thomas,' Peter Lownds, defending said.

Islam wanted Thomas to buy hydrogen peroxide, fireworks from which gunpowder could be extracted, pipes and metal caps, which could be used to assemble a pipe bomb and the high explosive TATP.

'Rather than risk his own neck by going out and trying to assemble the necessary components for a bomb, he tried to exploit others to buy the components for a bomb,' Miss Darlow said. 

He then applied 'liberal encouragement' to Thomas to murder a British soldier, inciting and stirring him up with stories about the murder of innocent children by the military forces and referring 'glowingly and approvingly' to the murder of Fusilier Lee Rigby in Woolwich, Miss Darlow said.

During the same period Islam also sought to radicalise at least three other young people and told one friend he was planning to leave Britain for Syria.

'There can be not the slightest doubt that this is a man who idolised violent conflict against the West,' Miss Darlow said, and that 'you have got to go out and engage in violence to reach the ranks of martyrs.'

Islam raised the subject of the Woolwich attack on December 20 2013, asking Thomas: 'If the war doesn’t stop there should be another killing. Get a meat cleaver or a kitchen knife. 

Would you carry out another attack?'

At first Thomas did not understand, then he replied: 'I don’t agree with what Cameron’s doing. I think it’s sick. I would kill a solider coz they’re scum.'

Islam told him: 'Well done Harry, I’m glad you understand mate. I’m proud of you.'

Ill-conceived efforts to get Thomas to refer to use 'cake' as a code for the bomb went over the other man’s head.

'Cake? You mean the b o m b?' Thomas said. 'After we done the ‘b’ r we gonna kll a soldier with a k i f e?'

But Islam’s plans started to go wrong after Thomas began telling his friends.

'Don’t tell anyone you p***k. Are you mental? D’you wanna go to jail. The brothers are gonna come after me and kill me and they’re gonna kill u as well.'

When officers raided Thomas’s home in August last year after arresting Islam they found no incriminating evidence and he was not arrested or charged.

Islam had downloaded a job application form to join the group Cage as an 'event volunteer co-ordinator.' 

The group became mired in controversy earlier this year after making excuses for the behaviour of the Islamic State executioner 'Jihadi John.'

The application form was among several documents found on Islam’s computer when his home was raided last August.

An eight-page document downloaded in November 2013 was headed 'How to make Semtex' and included bomb-making instructions.

Another document claimed to be a 'contrary perspective' on the government’s counter-terrorism strategy Prevent, produced by the radical preacher Anjem Choudary.

Islam had allegedly searched for 'suicide bomber video,' and an online magazine called Inspire, which included articles on car bombs and '24/7 terrorism.' 

He had also downloaded several pictures of dead fighters, images of the Twin Towers and a picture of Michael Adebolajo, one of the killers of Fusilier Lee Rigby in Woolwich.

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Peter Lownds, defending, admitted that Islam had participated in an 'extremely unattractive, cynical and cruel use of this young man.'

But he said his client was a 'lothario' who was 'all mouth and no trousers' and added: 'To put it simply he was a bedroom jihadist with no intention to act.'

Islam told the Old Bailey he was conducting a psychological experiment to see if Thomas would replicate an attack by a convicted terrorist called Nicky Reilly, who tried to blow himself up in a shopping centre in Exeter in 2009.

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Kazi Islam has been found guilty of trying to groom a young man with learning difficulties to carry out a Lee Rigby-style terror attack 

Asked what he was seeking to achieve, Islam said: 'I want to know if what I said, he would succumb to it and accept it and really do it, if you know what I mean.'

He claimed: 'I didn’t use physical intimidation, I didn’t bully him or anything” but added: “I raise my hands up, I treated him in an unpleasant 

way, I was mean and harsh to him. He mistook this experiment as a gesture of friendship.'

Islam was found guilty of engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts contrary to section 5(1) of the Terrorism Act 2006, on or before July 17 2014. 

He will be sentenced on May 29.

Islam made no reaction as the guilty verdict was read out by the foreman of the jury.

As he was remanded in custody to await sentence, judge Richard Marks warned that a custodial sentence was 'inevitable'.

Anti-terror police from SO15 raided Islam's home on July 24, 2014 and a neighbouring address where they seized several mobile phones and computer devices. 

When they forensically examined the machines they found evidence of conversations between Islam and Mr Thomas about the items needed to buy to make a pipe bomb. 

According to the Metropolitan Police: 'Officers found that Islam visited websites and downloaded instructions on how to make IEDs. 

 Commander Richard Walton, Head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command (SO15) said: 'Islam groomed and bullied a vulnerable man to try and get him to make a bomb or attack soldiers.

'We were able to intervene early on this occasion and prevent what we believe would have been an act of terrorism in the UK.

'We continue to appeal to anyone who may have knowledge of people with similar intentions. The earliest we can intervene to prevent terrorism the better.

'We also remind the public that there is currently a need to protect vulnerable or impressionable adults or children from this brand of Islamic extremism.'

KAZI ISLAM'S CHILLING ATTEMPT TO RECRUIT HIS FRIENDS FOR JIHAD 

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Kazi Islam, pictured, tried to recruit several of his friends to become Jihadis and attack soldiers

Kazi Islam had decided he was surrounded by gullible fools who would do his dirty work for him. In all he tried to groom four different friends, telling one, Fuad Mahamud: 'Come on Fuad, would you suicide bomb yourself?'

But it was Harry Thomas, the classmate with Asperger’s syndrome that Islam believed he had most chance of successfully persuading to buy bomb-making ingredients and launch a Woolwich-style attack.

Thomas first messaged Islam on October 16, writing simply: 'Susan dumped me.'

Islam weighed straight in: 'Harry mate, relationships outside marriage doesn’t work out.'

'I know I’ve learnt that from experience, it’s hard though coz I love her,' Thomas said.

Islam turned counsellor: 'Yeh, I know mate, I loved someone once but then she left me and I came back to Islam and it really helped me out, it resolved my problems.'

Thomas asked Islam if he still smoked and Islam told him: 'Not any more, it’s haram [forbidden]. You need to know about the basics.'

'I smoke baccy and sometimes weed,' Thomas admitted.

'Weed is bad and will cause mental problems,' Islam said.

'Tell me about it, it’s made me paranoid and anxious,' Thomas admitted.

The pair apparently had a conversation in which Islam tried to persuade Thomas to buy the ingredients for a bomb and on October 18 Islam wrote: 'Let me know when you found the stuff,' followed on October 21 by: 'Did you find the ingredients yet mate?'

When Thomas said on October 23 that he had 'looked in b and q, steal brass caps are 30 quid,' Islam replied: 'Gooood.'

On November 1, they went on to talk about pipes and Islam told Thomas he had bought ones that were too big, adding: 'What you need to do is get me fireworks mate, ones don’t have flash powder in them…The explosion’s gonna make a big noise.'

Islam sent Thomas a picture on November 5 and Thomas responded: 'Awesome. That what we gonna make?' and promised to get the smaller pipes.

'Yep that’s good mate,' Islam wrote. 'Try getting some fireworks mate.'

He told Thomas on December 13, 'Make sure you get da ingredients.'

'Okay I will. I only need fireworks now,' Thomas said. Then he asked: 'Who are we gonna blow up?'

'No one, get the ingredients first, I’ll tell you when I see ya. Don’t take too long,' Islam said.

Then he ramped up the stakes on December 20, asking: 'Have you heard about the Woolwich killing?'

'Nah, what’s it about, was it those black Muslims who machete that soldier?' Thomas asked.

'Yeah, because of the foreign policy,' Islam said. 'Would you carry out another attack? Because David Cameron is sending troops abroad to kill innocent people and those soldier are committing mass murder.'

'I know he is, that’s y they killed that soldier isn’t it?'

'If the war doesn’t stop then there should be another soldier killed isn’t it.'

'The soldier they killed shot innocent children didn’t he cos they’re Muslim?'

'Get a meat cleaver or a kitchen knife,' Islam said. 'Would you carry out another attack?'

'I don’t agree with what Cameron’s doin. I think its sick and I would kill a solider cos they’re scum, they had no right to kill those children.'

Islam told him: 'Well done Harry, I’m glad you understand. I’m proud of you.'

Thomas added: 'I have respect for those black Muslims cos they proved a point and they done it outta respect for the dead Muslims who were slaughtered by those soldiers.'

'So we need to work on this cake?' Islam added.

'Cake? You mean the b o m b?' Thomas said. 'All we need to get now r the fireworks then we can make it. Waiting till I get payed so can get them and after we done the ‘b’ r we gonna kll a soldier with a k i f e? After we done the deeds with the b, r we gonna attack a soldier? We should do what the black Muslims did, it’s to respect them too and the people the soldiers killed.'

When Thomas asked what kind of fireworks he needed to get on December 21, Islam told him: 'Get any powerful ones, but not sparklers or candles.'

Thomas asked 'Will Catherine wheels be cool?'

'Yeh, ones which include black powder,' Islam said.

'Where are we going to test them?' Thomas asked.

'Park,' Islam wrote.

On December 23 Thomas tried to engage Islam in a conversation about computer games: 'Have you played Medal of Honor remake on PS2 or Xbox360? You earn points for shooting unarmed Talibans and Muslims.'

'Nah mate. Don’t play it,' Islam said.

'I did when it first came out but I was appalled by it so I threw it away,' Thomas said.

Islam messaged Thomas: 'When I give the order, I want you to kill a soldier…2 soldiers…Not yet though.'

'When?' Thomas asked.

'I’ll let you know,' Islam said.

'Okay right, we gonna make the b first,' Thomas said.

'We need to make the cake asap. If we don’t then there will be more killings,' Islam pressed.

'Call yourself Haroon from now on. It sounds better and Islamic. Haroon is an Arabic name, it means fighter. Instead of Harry we’ll call you Haroon.'

 Stop telling everyone about it. Do you want to go to jail idiot? Just keep your mouth shut

Kazi Islam berating Harry Thomas after he admitted telling friends about the plot

'Shall I call you Haroon?' Thomas asked.

'No, my name’s alright, I’m already a Muslim,' Islam said.

'Where am I going to find 2 soldiers?' Thomas asked.

'Near an army base, but don’t do anything yet,' Islam told him.

'I won’t, I will wait till we made the b and wait for you to tell me to do it,' Thomas said, complying.

Islam warned Thomas not to be too 'bait,' meaning obvious but Thomas began telling his friends.

On December 27, Islam messaged: 'Stop telling everyone about it. Do you want to go to jail idiot? Just keep your mouth shut.'

'How did you know? OK sorry. I only told a few mates,' Thomas said.

'Don’t tell anyone you p***k. Are you mental? D’you wanna go to jail. The brothers are gonna come after me and kill me and they’re gonna kill u as well.'

'Yeh, but mates are mates,' Thomas said.

'Don’t f*****g tell anyone, not even your mates…and don’t lie to me,' Islam exploded.

A confused Thomas said: 'You’re not making any sense. Look I’m on your side.'

When Thomas admitted he had asked for 'anti-peridoxide' Islam told him: 'Stop lying Harry, you never even went. Go on Youtube and type it in…Are you illiterate or something?'

'Sorry can’t spell it but I know what it is now,' Thomas replied.

Islam tried one last time on January 15: 'I saw the hydrogen peroxide. £1.50 per bottle. Time’s running out.'

But that was not the end of the plan - Islam switched to trying other friends. Despairing of Thomas, he moved on to Ennamul Haque, telling him on December 30 just after midnight: 'It’s not all about the money. Dis gansta life is nutin. See da Woolwich bruddas dat murdered dat soldier, dey left everything for Allah. We shd try n b like dem. Dey done it for a good purpose, da foreign policy. British send troops into Iraq and Afghanistan and kill Muslims.'

Haque questioned: 'I though they done it so Islam gets a bad name, people was saying that.'

'Wud you kill a British soldier?' Islam quickly asked.

'Naa,' Haque responded.

'Why not?' Islam pressed.

'If he killed a Muslim den if have a chance, yeh, but not a normal soldier dat didn’t do shit.'

'LoL [laughs out loud],' Islam replied. 'No soldier is innocent. Allof em have been to Muslim lands and killed Muslims and dey still do, if you get da chance den kill one.'

'OK boss,' Haque said.

'Read about what’s happening worldwide. Find out what’s happening in Muslim lands,' Islam added.

'Would you kill a soldier?' Haque shot back.

'Yes but I got sutin [something] better planned,' Islam said.

'Wats dat? Would you kill a fed [policeman]?'

'Nah, feds are a myna ting. Dey not doing anyfing bad but they still enemies to Islam. I got 4 brudas on standby dat are gonna go Syria to join da war sooon. Dey gona go in six months.

'If your a big man den slice a solider by his throat. Dats what you call a big man or a G, not someone who shots [deals drugs] or bangs, no ratings for ppl like dat

'Leave dis life behind, you about getting money and trappin [pulling girls]. It’s a joke, it’s nufin, be a soldier, don’t care what anyone says. If anyone says anyfink den plug [kill] em.'

None of the friends Islam approached ever agreed to his plotting and one, Khairul Amin, sent an aggressive message asking: 'oi u d***head, why da fcuk u bcmin a jihadist, are you a d***head…shange (sic) ur beleafz blud, wtf is dis s**t man?'