Muslim-convert who became Britain's 'first female suicide bomb plotter', 36, admits ISIS-inspired plan to blow up St Paul's Cathedral and a London hotel in bid to 'kill as many as possible'

• Safiyya Amira Shaikh, 36, admits preparation of terrorist acts at Old Bailey
• Also pleads guilty to dissemination of terrorist publications at a hearing 
• Charge states she contacted someone who could prepare explosives
• Shaikh is also said to have gone on trip to scope out St Paul's and a hotel
• Born Michelle Ramsden to a non-Muslim family and converted to Islam in 2007

A Muslim convert and Islamic State supporter today admitted plotting to bomb St Paul's Cathedral and a hotel in a suicide attack.

Safiyya Amira Shaikh, 36, of Hayes, West London, carried out a reconnaissance trip to scope out the landmark as a potential target while staying in an unnamed hotel.

Shaikh - who is thought to be Britain's first solo female Isis bomb plotter - also prepared the words of a pledge of allegiance to the group, also known as Isis or Daesh, between August and October last year. 

The British defendant was born Michelle Ramsden to a non-Muslim family and converted to Islam in 2007. She began to follow extremists online and by 2015 had become radicalised, the prosecution said. 

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Safiyya Amira Shaikh, 36, admitted preparation of terrorist acts and dissemination of terrorist publications at a hearing at the Old Bailey 

She tried to make contact with a bomb maker online and asked them to build two improvised explosive devices while plotting the attack last year.

Shaikh later met with her contact, and handed them two bags, in which the IEDs were to be placed, not realising he was an undercover officer.

What Safiyya Shaikh told undercover officer

'I want to kill a lot. I would like to do church... a day like Christmas or Easter good, kill more. I always send threats. But I want to make threats real.

'I would like to do this place (St Paul's) for sure. I would like bomb and shoot 'til death. I really would love to destroy that place and the kaffir (enemies of ISIS) there.'

According to BBC News, she told the officer: 'I want to kill a lot. I would like to do church... a day like Christmas or Easter good, kill more. I always send threats. But I want to make threats real.'

Sending a photograph of St Paul's Cathedral to the officer, she wrote: 'I would like to do this place for sure.

'I would like bomb and shoot 'til death... I really would love to destroy that place and the kaffir (enemies of ISIS) there.'

Prosecutors said she intended to leave one of the devices in the hotel and then carry the other into St Paul's, where she would detonate it. 

The court was previously told that Ms Shaikh 'intended to kill herself and as many other people as possible.'

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Shaikh lived in a property in this block of flats in Hayes, West London

Shaikh prepared the words for a pledge of allegiance to Isis while spreading terrorist publications via groups on encrypted messaging app Telegram.

How Shaikh was snared by undercover officers 

Safiyya Amira Shaikh was snared by undercover officers last year as she planned to plant two explosive devices in central London.

In encrypted chat with an undercover officer last August, she said that she would 'rather die young and get to Jannah (paradise) quickest way possible'.

She also stated: 'I always knows (sic) I wanted to do something big....killing one kafir (infidel) is not enough for me.'

Shaikh expressed a desire to target a church or somewhere 'historical' on a day like Christmas or Easter to 'kill more', according to the case summary.

In September last year, she revealed her plan to stay in a hotel near St Paul's then check out the cathedral and 'take photos like a tourist'.

On September 24 last year, she met the fake explosive expert's wife in Uxbridge to hand over her bags.

Then on October 13, the female undercover officer cancelled a second meeting and police forced their way into Shaikh's flat to arrest her.

She appeared in the dock today dressed in black and admitted preparing acts of terror and disseminating terrorist publications while flanked by three prison officers.

Mr Justice Sweeney said she would be remanded in custody at HMP Bronzefield until her sentence on May 11 when her defence will have served mental health reports. 

The judge ordered that the defence should serve any psychiatric report by April 3.

Shaikh had been planning the terrorist plot for around two months before officer from Scotland Yard's counter terror unit moved in and arrested her.

The facts were not opened in court, but according to a prosecution case summary, Shaikh had stated her main aim was to kill as many people as possible in a suicide attack on St Paul's.

She only confided her plan to two people, the online explosives expert and his wife who she handed her bags to, unaware that they were undercover officers. 

In encrypted chat with an undercover officer last August, the defendant said that she would 'rather die young and get to Jannah (paradise) quickest way possible'.

She also stated: 'I always knows (sic) I wanted to do something big....killing one kafir (infidel) is not enough for me.'

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The woman pleaded guilty to plotting to bomb St Paul's Cathedral in London (file picture)

Shaikh expressed a desire to target a church or somewhere 'historical' on a day like Christmas or Easter to 'kill more', according to the case summary.

Other Muslim converts turned terrorists 

Lewis Ludlow was jailed for at least 15 years last March for a terror plot to drive a van into shoppers outside a Disney store in London. The Muslim convert who pledged allegiance to Islamic State wanted to kill 100 people in a 'spectacular' attack.

 

Khalid Masood was a Muslim convert who killed five people in the Westminster Bridge terror attack in March 2017. Masood, who converted while in jail, mowed down pedestrians in an SUV before stabbing PC Keith Palmer to death. 

 

Michael Adebolajo converted to Islam in 2002 while at university, and Michael Adebowale converted in around 2009. They murdered Fusilier Lee Rigby in Woolwich, South East London, in May 2013. 

In September last year, she revealed her plan to stay in a hotel near St Paul's then check out the cathedral and 'take photos like a tourist'.

On September 24 last year, she met the fake explosive expert's wife in Uxbridge to hand over her bags.

Then on October 13, the female undercover officer cancelled a second meeting and police forced their way into Shaikh's flat to arrest her.

In police interview, the defendant, who claimed benefits, admitted posting extremist material and the plot, although she said she may not have gone through with it.

A former neighbour, who lived next door to Shaikh when she lived in Twickenham, told MailOnline: 'I haven't seen her in about four years since she moved out.

'She lived next door, but she was here one day and then the next day she was gone. I didn't really know much about her.

'She knocked on my door, asked to borrow a cup of sugar. I don't really like my neighbours. She was lovely though. She was really nice to me and my three kids.'

The woman, who asked not to be named, said: 'I didn't know when she moved in.'

When told Shaikh admitted terrorist offences, she said: 'She never gave that vibe. I feel sick. She was my next door neighbour. I don't feel safe here with my kids.

'I knew she was a Muslim - that's it really. She seemed pretty devout. I used to see her with the headscarf on all the time. I'm absolutely baffled. It's insane.

'When she lived here she used to say 'hi' to me and the kids on school runs and stuff. I'm so shocked I don't know what to say. You don't ever think that you'd live next door to a terrorist.'

St Paul's Cathedral is one of London's most iconic landmarks and is visited by thousands of tourists every year.

It was designed by Sir Christopher Wren after the previous cathedral on the site was burned down in the Great Fire of London. 

The full two charges against ISIS supporter Safiyya Amira Shaikh

1) one count of preparation of terrorist acts, contrary to section 5(1) of the Terrorism Act 2006, namely, on and between 19 August 2019 and 10 October 2019, with the intention of committing acts of terrorism, she engaged in conduct in preparation for giving effect to that intention, namely: Made contact with a person she believed to be able to assist in preparing explosives; researched methods and decided on a plan to carry out a terrorist act; travelled to central London and stayed at a hotel in order to conduct reconnaissance; selected the hotel as a target for an explosive device; attended St Paul's Cathedral to scope it, for security and for the best place to plant a second explosive device; met a person and supplied her with two bags, with the intention and belief that explosive devices would be fitted into the bags; prepared the words of a pledge of allegiance to Daesh, also known as Islamic State.

2) one count of dissemination of terrorist publications, contrary to section 2(1) of the Terrorism Act 2006, namely, on various dates between 19 August 2019 and 10 October 2019, she provided a service to others that enabled them to obtain, read, listen to or look at terrorist publications via 'Telegram', intending an effect of her conduct to be a direct or indirect encouragement or other inducement, or to constitute the provision of assistance, to the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism, contrary to section 2 (1) and 2 (2) (d) of the Terrorism Act 2006.