A man who attempted to become a 'martyr' for Islamic State after speaking to the group's AI chatbot has been jailed for 12 years. Mohamed Mohamoud, from Bristol, spent just over a month in Somalia last year before returning to the UK when the experience was not what he expected.
The security guard became interested in joining IS after watching extreme videos on YouTube and TikTok. Jurors at Winchester Crown Court were told he had conversations with an AI chatbot used by terrorist recruiters to identify viable new members.
Failed attempts to join IS
On January 30 last year, Mohamoud left the UK for Somalia, the country where he was born, with dreams of dying for the cause. However, things started to go wrong when he was offered a role as a spy upon arrival. He turned the offer down as he was seeking a front-line combat role in the 'killing zone' and because he worried family members in the west African country might recognise him.
Further efforts to become a martyr in the following weeks fell flat due to counter-terror operations. By March 3, Mohamoud was back in the UK, but he kept in touch with IS recruiters, telling them: 'Any time, you say the word, I will return.'
Arrest and sentencing
Officers from Counter Terrorism Policing South East arrested him at his home on January 20 this year. In mitigation, Dominic Thomas said Mohamoud was 'not recruited because anyone who might be in a position to recruit him was presumably too busy fighting'.
At the Old Bailey, judge Mr Justice Lickley said: 'You did everything you could to join IS and were prevented by factors beyond your control. I am satisfied if you had joined you would have been used in a combat role.'
Mohamoud had admitted attempting to join Islamic State in Somalia and denied preparing acts of terrorism, but was found guilty of the latter following a trial in August. He was jailed for 12 years with a further four years on extended licence.
Background and next steps
Mr Thomas argued the defendant was beginning to see his 'wrongheadedness' from a low point in his life and suggested there was hope he could change in years to come. Mohamoud previously told the court he was born in Somalia, but was taken along with his younger brother to live with his stepmother in the UAE when he was three years old following the separation of his parents. He lived between Somalia and the UAE until he moved to live with his mother in Bristol in 2020 at the age of 16 and 17. The defendant had limited leave to remain in the UK until 2027.
