The Islamist whose trial was put on hold so he could fast during Ramadan has been found guilty of terrorism offences for sharing Islamist propaganda online.
Taha Hussain was found guilty of seven terror charges for disseminating Islamist propaganda images (above) and other files on WhatsApp, Youtube, and the favoured encrypted messaging service of Islamic State sympathisers Telegram.
He was cleared of two other similar charges and of encouraging terrorism on Twitter, reports the Windsor Observer.
The Old Bailey heard that over a period of 11 months, the 21-year-old from Slough distributed electronic files and videos such as “Paris Outrage: A Muslim Perspective”, and “Charlie Hebdo to Jagrity”.
Hussain shared on his YouTube channel videos of Jihadists in battle, and material promoting that “no-one should feel sorry for the deaths of non-Muslims and the wrong kind of Muslims”.
The court also heard that following the November 2015 Paris terror attack at the Bataclan theatre, the Islamist and at least one other man filmed themselves driving past the Victoria Barracks in Windsor, home to the Coldstream Guards, six times whilst listening to Islamic chants and voicing their support for Islamic State.
One man was heard saying: “Wake up you kuffar (disbelievers), when are you gonna wake up?”
Noting a recruitment sign on the Victoria Barracks, one individual in the car was heard saying:”So are Dawla [Islamic State]”.
In a similar incident in June 2016, Hussain made another drive-by video outside the Cavalry Barracks in Hounslow, where the 1st Battalion Irish Guards are based, and said: “We are outside the British Barracks today, as you can see, the baby butchers of the Muslims.”
The occupants of the car shouted: “Allah is the greatest.”
In May 2013, after leaving the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich, South-East London, Fusilier Lee Rigby was mown down by a car and brutally murdered by Islamists Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale who specifically sought to target British military personnel.
Taha Hussain (Credit: Police)
Hussain was arrested by police in August 2016 after the disturbing content was found on his phone. The court heard that the device had the black flag of Islamic State as the screen saver and the pin set to 9117 – in apparent homage to the 9/11 and 7/7 terror attacks.
In March, Breitbart London reported that Hussain’s trial was delayed so he could fast during Islam’s holy month of Ramadan, with Old Baily Judge Paul Dodgson saying: “I only have to think about myself not eating or drinking for 19 hours. This is not to be taken as a precedent for all trials involving devout Muslims.
“The date was fixed administratively but no consideration had been made for Ramadan. I would not be confident for someone to stand trial if I looked up I thought he’s not fit to be here.”
Detective Chief Superintendent Kath Barnes, head of Counter Terrorism Policing South East, said: “Extremist posts like the ones Hussain posted and shared have the power to influence other people and particularly those who may be young and impressionable or vulnerable for a variety of reasons.
“This could lead to those influenced individuals committing acts of terror.”
This conviction comes in the same week as the trial of another high-profile terror cell came to a close. On Wednesday, an Islamist terror group known as the ‘Three Musketeers’ were convicted of plotting a Lee Rigby-style attack.
Hussain remains in custody and will be sentenced at Kingston Crown Court on 11 September.
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