Teen found guilty of plotting Isle of Wight Festival terror attack

From the County Press and Yahoo News

The trial of an Isle of Wight teenager accused of terrorism offences in 2022 — which included his plans to attack the Isle of Wight Festival — has concluded.

The boy, who appeared before a jury at Kingston Crown Court, denied three counts of the dissemination of terrorist publications, engaging in conduct in the preparation of terrorist acts, and possession of a bladed article in a public place.

The material he was accused of sending included links to extremist videos.  On Monday (5th), the jury found the defendant guilty on all charges.  During the trial, the court heard the 16-year-old researched potential targets to attack, including the Isle of Wight Festival in June 2022, together with weapons, vehicles, stab vests and other items.

After discarding the festival as a target because he did not have a vehicle, the youth went on to draw up plans to stab people. He was planning to attack people he believed had insulted Islam and was found with a knife in his possession when he was detained.

The teen came to the attention of counter-terrorism police as a result of information being shared with them by the FBI. The information shared related to concerns that someone in the UK, using a suspicious username on online platform, Discord, had been planning an attack on July 11, 2022, the court was told.

The boy was subsequently arrested in Ryde on that date.  . . he was diagnosed with autism and became increasingly more radicalised after he converted to Islam in 2021,

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary’s area commander for the Isle of Wight, superintendent Rob Mitchell called the verdict “a really tragic case of a young boy who found himself exploited by Daesh propaganda.” While detective chief superintendent Olly Wright, head of CTPSE, said: “There can never be satisfaction when a child so young is convicted of such serious charges”

The boy is due to be sentenced at Kingston Crown Court on 15 April.