Plan to poison Prince George’s ice cream revealed by accused terrorist

From the Barking and Dagenham Post and Sky News

A man accused of buying an 18in sword and a knife as he plotted a terror attack, told a covert police officer how a proposal to poison the Royal Family with ice-cream ended in jail, a court has heard.

Sahayb Abu, 27, who lives in Dagenham, is on trial at the Old Bailey. He denies preparation of terrorist acts.

Days before his arrest on July 9 last year, he allegedly discussed guns with an undercover police officer who he met through a chat group for supporters of the so-called Islamic State group.

The officer, known as Rachid, said Mr Abu had suggested meeting up after he mentioned his access to firearms in North Africa. As well as finding out if Mr Abu wanted a gun, Rachid wanted to see if he was potentially planning a terrorist attack, he said. During the meeting at Surrey Quays, they discussed other topics, including a “brother who got 28 years” in prison for talking about poisoning the Royal Family.

According to a transcript of the meeting, Mr Abu mentioned an “attack on Prince George” leading to jail. He told the officer: “They’re trynna make it out as if he was targeting the baby, he was targeting the family, the Royal Family.

“You know what his plan was? Say, like the Royal Family house is there, go to the nearest Sainsbury’s and…  put poison in the ice-creams so the Royal Family will go and buy the ice-creams from there. They’re gonna go buy some ice-creams and then most likely the son will eat it.”

The officer responded: “It’s a bit ambitious, init akhi (brother).”
Mr Abu replied: “It’s better for you to just leave the country… that’s why this wasn’t very intelligent. And then 28 years the kuffar (non-believers) are gonna laugh at you, lock you every day and you’re gonna end up saying ‘oh this aqeeda (creed) brought me this’.”

The 27-year-old said he also spent time with Abuthaher Mamun, who assisted another Isis-inspired plot to groom a “mini militia” of children who could launch simultaneous terror attacks across London. Readers may recall this plot, hatched in the Ripple Road Mosque in Barking, very close to Abu’s home in Mayfield Road Dagenham. Although his nearest mosque would be the mosque now called the Beacon Tree Mosque (why they re-named it the same as the local pub I don’t know. An attempt to establish historic credentials perhaps) about which I wrote in 2011. Nearly 10 years ago!

The defendant also discussed his influences, including hate preachers Suleiman Anwar Bengharsa and Abdullah el-Faisal, and Isis propaganda magazine Rumiyah. Abu talked of Anjem Choudary and Mizanur Rahman, two leading figures in the banned al-Muhajiroun network who were jailed for supporting Isis in 2016. He said he wanted to talk to Rahman, using his alias Abu Baraa, but that Rahman and Choudary were unable to have contact because of their licence conditions after being freed from prison. Abu was arrested on 9 July, days after sending a rap to two of his brothers that ended with the words: “My shank [knife] penetrate ya, got my suicide vest – one click, boom, and I’ll see you later.“

Mr Abu’s brother Muhamed Abu, 31, of South Norwood, denies failing to disclose information about acts of terrorism. The trial continues.