Nadir Syed jailed for life for plotting Remembrance Sunday attack in London

Nadir Syed was jailed for life today (23 June) for plotting a Lee Rigby-style attack on Remembrance Sunday in London. The 23-year-old from Southall, London, was found guilty last December of planning the attack.

Syed was arrested in November 2014 after buying a foot-long chef's knife that the judge said was to be used for decapitation. In the original trial, Syed had said that the knife was intended to be gift for his mother.

The judge, Justice Saunders, said Syed would have to serve at least 15 years but he may never be released. Syed had been tried next to his cousin, Yousef Syed, 20, and Hasib Hamayoon, 29, who were both later cleared of charges.

During the trial at Woolwich Crown Court, the court heard excerpts from an encrypted chat where Syed had shared videos of beheadings. The court also heard that Syed has been inspired by Islamic State (Isis/Daesh) and had attempted to travel to Syria to join the terror group.

His attempt to join IS fighters in Syria failed in 2014 when his application for a UK passport was declined.

Reported in the Guardian, Justice Saunders said that he had "no doubt" Syed was dangerous and that his beliefs "not only entitled him but required him to go to and kill someone on the streets of this country in revenge for events in Syria".

"In my judgment," Saunders said, "if he was released from prison he would go and try and carry out what he failed to achieve in this case. He would set out to kill in furtherance of his beliefs."