A 19-year-old admits before the judge to have planned a terrorist attack in the United Kingdom
A tip-off in time prevents a possible terrorist attack in the United Kingdom. Matthew King, 19, appeared in a London court on Friday where he pleaded guilty to planning a terrorist attack that targeted military personnel and police officers.
The young man acknowledged having investigated various police stations, railway stations and courts, as well as units of the British Armed Forces. All the information that he had gathered in his surveillance was destined to attack one of these places and everyone who was inside it.
A WhatsApp video started the investigation
During a court hearing held today at the Old Bailey Criminal Court in the center of the British capital, King pleaded guilty to preparing terrorist acts.
A video sent by the potential terrorist in a WhatsApp group on April 13, 2022 could have caused one of the members to anonymously denounce what happened. The notice reached the authorities through a telephone line designed to combat terrorism and the Prevent program, created to suppress terrorist acts.
"Now the battle begins and will continue until the day of reckoning"
In that recording, as has been learned during the judicial process, the image of a man brandishing a knife was included and the message: "Those who said that there is no jihad and there is no battle. They are lying."
"Our jihad will continue until the end, until the day of judgment. Now the battle begins and it will continue until the day of judgment. Take up your sword, oh youth, and destroy the kufr (person who does not accept the authority of Allah)", added the video.
He wanted to attack at the beginning of 2022
The arrest was made on May 18 at the defendant's home, born in Essex County. Agents from the London Metropolitan Police Terrorist Command arrested the young man and seized his phone so that police specialists could try to find related information.
After being admonished, King stated that he "does not believe in British law" and that "the only law" he believes in is Allah's.
The prosecution alleged that the conspiracy was related to extreme Islamist beliefs of the man, who was indicted on charges of preparing a terrorist act between December 22, 2021 and May 17, 2022.
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