Muhammad Billal, a 19-year-old from Nelson, Lancashire, has been sentenced to 13-and-a-half years in prison for plotting a terrorist attack with a firearm and attempting to travel to a training camp in Somalia to join Islamic State (IS).
Arrest and Charges
Billal was arrested in November 2024 at Manchester airport while attempting to board a flight to Dubai. He was charged in February 2025 with two counts of preparation of terrorist acts and four counts of collecting information likely to be used by a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.
Sentencing at the Old Bailey
On Thursday, nearly a year after pleading guilty, Billal received an extended sentence of 13-and-a-half years in custody, followed by an extended licence period of five years, from Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb at the Old Bailey. The judge stated, “By your own account to the probation officer, you intended to kill members of the public and you hoped to be killed by police. You could not be sure that you would not have gone through with the attack.”
Extremist Activities and Planning
The court heard that throughout 2024 until his arrest, Billal repeatedly accessed IS material and declared his support for the organisation. He defended IS online with comments such as “for you they are terrorists, for me they are fighters of justice and truth,” downloaded IS fitness manuals, and searched for phrases like “how do you join Isis?”. His attack planning involved researching nearby shooting ranges and attempting to purchase a gun on the dark web using cryptocurrency. He also conducted online reconnaissance of potential attack locations, including churches, synagogues, busy train stations, and Manchester United's stadium.
Travel to Somalia
Between October and November 2024, Billal took steps to travel to Somalia after being contacted online. He sought advice on leaving the UK without arousing suspicion, changed his appearance, deleted extremist material from his phone, and bought clothes, equipment, and online tickets. He also obtained a visa to enter Ethiopia to facilitate crossing into Somalia via Dubai.
Defence and Risk Assessment
Defending Billal, Andrew Morris argued that the defendant was “vulnerable” and had been “brainwashed” as a teenager after moving to the UK from Italy with his parents at age 13. Judge Cheema-Grubb accepted that Billal sought “belonging and brotherhood” through the ideology but rejected the claim of exploitation, stating, “You were motivated by Islamic State ideology and you were motivated by martyrdom.” Since being in prison, Billal has reportedly begun to distance himself from the ideology but remains assessed as a “high risk” of further terrorist offending. In April 2025, prison officers found a picture of an IS flag in his cell.
Billal's Remarks and Guilty Plea
Judge Cheema-Grubb added, “You said that if you had gone to Somalia you would have killed innocent people and that you were glad you had now been arrested because it stopped you from becoming a murderer.” Billal admitted all six offences in July 2025.
