Greater Manchester Police (GMP) have admitted to critical errors in their handling of evidence prior to the October 2025 attack on Heaton Park synagogue. Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson apologised for the force's failure to examine data from mobile phones seized from the attacker, Jihad al-Shamie, which could have prompted earlier intervention.
Watson stated that the devices, confiscated during separate arrests in February and September 2025, contained substantial evidence of an extremist mindset. He called the oversight a 'missed opportunity' and expressed deep regret for adding to the distress of those affected by the attack, which occurred on Yom Kippur and resulted in the deaths of Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Bashir, 31, an accomplice of Shamie, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 17 years for planning a separate terrorist attack. The pair had conducted a hostile reconnaissance mission at the UK Defence Academy in Shrivenham, Swindon, in August 2025. The court heard that Bashir drove Shamie on a ten-hour round trip to the facility, which hosts up to 4,000 personnel daily.
Judge Cheema-Grubb described Bashir as a 'fully committed jihadist' at the time, noting that both men were equally engaged in planning an attack on a military target where they expected to kill and be killed. She rejected Bashir's claims of changed views, stating he remains dangerous.
Raphi Bloom of the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester welcomed the chief constable's apology and candour, praising GMP's overall protection of the community. The Independent Office for Police Conduct is now reviewing GMP's past investigations into Shamie.
