Matthew King, Islamic State teen convert given minimum six years for terror plot.

I pondered last month what on channel sentencing would be.  It was live on BBC News 24. I was with my husband watching it on a large screen, via subtitles, in a local pub while we waited for lunch. Seeing my interest the old ladies on the next table and the chap with a pint behind all swiveled heads to the screen, their interest piqued. Until somebody (!!!***!!!) changed channels to football news followed by Eggheads Quiz. It was left to my husband to follow on his mobile phone.

Anyway I’m home now and Matthew King is a guest of His Majesty. It’s an interesting sentence with the judge carefully weighing up his youth, potential for de-radicalisation and the lack of readiness of his plots against his current fanaticism and potential for violence and murder.

It is basically a life sentence, but with a low minimum to serve, the question of any reform a matter for the parole board.  Six years isn’t enough in my opinion, but it will only be 6 years IF he reforms. And from the behaviour reported in his pre-sentence report that will be a long time a-coming. If he is released, he will be on licence and liable to be recalled to prison for the rest of his life.

From the BBC

Matthew King showed little to no emotion as the sentence was read out. He stood up, listened to the passing of his sentence and walked away after being asked to be taken down to the cells.

• And despite taking the teenager’s age and maturity into account, he (HHJ Lucraft KC, Recorder of London) found King to be a dangerous offender and carried a risk of future harm to the public.
• During his sentencing remarks, Judge Mark Lucraft said an Essex mosque told King he was “no longer welcome”, and he changed his WhatsApp status to “kill the non-Muslims”.
• In his view, the prison material presented to the court this morning showed an unclear picture of King – something he felt was concerning enough to give King a discretionary life sentence. This means he will have at least another five years in prison before he is considered for release by the parole board.

When the Judge, setting out the evidence for the charges to which King pleaded guilty last month said ‘he was then taken to Basildon Police station’ one of the old ladies gasped. This isn’t an anonymous government office or public building ‘up west’; this is very close to home, and I think the case was new to her.

The Judge’s comments can be reheard on the BBC news site but the on-line precis doesn’t mention the fuller detailing of his behaviour in prison during the period after conviction for preparation of the pre-sentencing report.

 Matthew King was originally due to be sentenced three weeks ago. Midway through that hearing the judge decided to delay it. It came after the court heard that intelligence reports suggested King said he would “behead the imam” in Wandsworth prison, where he was being held.

King’s defence barrister, Hossein Zahir KC, said the comment was “a throwaway remark by an angry young man being stuck in his cell”. The Old Bailey judge adjourned the sentencing so that further inquiries could be made at the prison.

He had threatened prison staff, sought out undesirable fellow inmates with terror experience and is already subject to disciplinary sanctions.  Hence HHJ Lucraft’s reservation about an unduly lenient sentence. If King continues to present a danger he will stay imprisoned; if he does ‘grow out’ of jihad then parole is a possibility. But that decision is down to the parole board.

This case shows up how dangerous the prospect of prison da’wa is.