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| Britain | |
| Failed British terrorist to be sentenced in botched restaurant bombing | |
| 2009-01-30 | |
He has since pleaded guilty to attempted murder and preparing an act of terrorism but sentencing was delayed for the preparation of psychiatric reports. Reilly, of King Street, Plymouth, Devon, suffers from Asperger's syndrome and has learning difficulties. The Old Bailey heard he decided to carry out his attack on the Giraffe restaurant in Exeter after being 'encouraged by others' on the internet. He had intended to run out into the packed dining area holding three bottles, filled with caustic soda, kerosene, and nails, to his stomach. But he got stuck in the toilet as he prepared the blast, leaving one of the bottles to go off before he could leave the cubicle. The explosion sent dozens of restaurant customers fleeing in panic and the bomber staggered out suffering serious facial injuries. Reilly had converted to Islam between 2002 and 2003 and had told others about his interest in jihad, the court heard. In 2004 he changed his name to Mohammad Rashid Saeed Alim, and began to download videos on bomb-making and martyrdom from YouTube. He also received encouragement in an internet chatroom from two people with Arabic names. Reilly was intent on becoming a martyr by killing himself and others and wrote: 'That is my dream.' He considered bombing Plymouth's Charles Cross police station and Drake Circus shopping centre as well as Devonport dockyard. In a rambling suicide note written in red ink and left in his bedroom, Reilly described how he was motivated by the 'disgusting' behaviour of people in Britain as well as the 'war on Islam'. He also claimed he had not been 'brainwashed or indoctrinated'". But his defence barrister Kerim Fuad said the influence of others had 'fed and fuelled the dangerous nonsense that filled his head'. He added: 'He may well be the least cunning person ever to have come before this court for any offence of this magnitude, for terrorism.' Reilly faces a lengthy jail term when he is sentenced later today. | |
| Posted by:ryuge |
| #4 Pardoned (and compensated) a year from now. Extremely unlikely: he's white and clearly not sane, therefore not deserving of any sympathy. |
| Posted by: Bulldog 2009-01-30 12:31 |
| #3 Pardoned (and compensated) a year from now. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2009-01-30 09:02 |
| #2 And it looks like he just got a life sentence (which means that he must serve a minimum of 18 years, in current British law.) |
| Posted by: ryuge 2009-01-30 08:54 |
| #1 Whoops! Here's the link to the article. Sorry. |
| Posted by: ryuge 2009-01-30 07:31 |