A 20-year-old former student from Birmingham has been sentenced to four years in a young offender institution after being found guilty of possessing a bomb-making guide, with a judge stating he had clear 'terrorist motivations'.
Court Hears of TikTok Request and 'Medieval Arsenal'
Adam Mahmood, of Platt Brook Way in Sheldon, Birmingham, stood trial at Birmingham Crown Court in September. The court heard that Mahmood, who had over 27,000 followers on TikTok, used a messaging app to ask another user to send him an instructional video on creating an explosive device.
During the subsequent police investigation, officers discovered what Judge Simon Drew KC described as an 'alarming display of medieval weapons' in Mahmood's bedroom. This collection included swords, knives, an axe, and a catapult.
Mahmood, a former motor mechanics student, claimed the weapons were linked to an interest in 'Islamic history'. However, the judge dismissed this explanation in light of the other evidence.
Detailed Bomb Guide and 'Contemplating' Assembly
The video obtained by Mahmood in October 2023 was described in court as providing a 'detailed guide' to producing an explosive substance complete with a detonator and shrapnel to make a functional bomb. The type of explosive outlined has been used in previous attacks within the UK.
Judge Drew stated that Mahmood had deliberately saved the video to his phone and must have understood its nature, as the visuals and subtitles clearly showed it was a bomb-making guide.
Although no evidence was presented of a specific planned attack, the judge noted that the discovery of ball bearings in his bedroom suggested Mahmood was 'at least contemplating assembling such a device'.
Extended Sentence to 'Protect the Public'
Sentencing Mahmood, Judge Drew emphasised the severity of the findings. 'You had terrorist motivations. That is clear from the items in your bedroom, the material on your phone and your evidence,' he told the defendant.
Mahmood was found guilty of a single count of possessing a recording likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism. He received a custodial sentence of four years.
Furthermore, the judge imposed an extended licence period of three years once Mahmood is released, stating this was necessary 'in order to protect the public in the future'. The judge concluded there was a 'significant risk' of further offences, citing Mahmood's 'high level of interest in, and support for, prohibited terrorist organisations'.
Reflecting on the case, Judge Drew added that the arsenal in the teenager's bedroom was a 'clear warning sign' that, regrettably, no responsible adult had acted upon.
