UK: Life sentence for inept bomber who targeted restaurant
Guardian
A Muslim convert described as the "least cunning" terrorist ever to come before a British court was yesterday sentenced to a minimum of 18 years in prison for a bungled suicide nail bombing.
Nicky Reilly - who changed his name to Mohamed Saeed-Alim - accidentally detonated his homemade device in the toilets of the crowded Giraffe restaurant in Exeter, injuring only himself.
LinkThe 22-year-old was given a life sentence at the Old Bailey after pleading guilty to attempted murder and preparing an act of terrorism last May. The court was told that he acted alone, though he had been in contact over the internet with two jihad supporters who had urged him to attack military rather than civilian targets.
After the case Debbie Simpson, the assistant chief constable of Devon and Cornwall, said efforts were being made to trace the al-Qaida sympathisers. "We are in contact ... with the Pakistani authorities. We believe there is an association," she said.
Saeed-Alim has Asperger's syndrome and obsessive compulsive disorder, it emerged. But the judge, Mr Justice Calvert-Smith, rejected defence applications for him to be transferred to Broadmoor psychiatric hospital for further assessment before sentencing. He declared that the defendant was aware of his actions and their consequences.
In mitigation, Kerim Fuad said Saeed-Alim might be deemed to be the least cunning person ever before a court for this type of offence. "His grandfather said he would struggle to change a lightbulb."
The judge said: "The offence of attempted murder is aggravated by the fact that it was long planned, that it had multiple intended victims and was intended to terrorise the population of this country. It was sheer luck or chance that it did not succeed in its objectives."
Saeed-Alim had intended running into the dining area with three bottles - filled with caustic soda, kerosene, and nails - strapped to his stomach, but became stuck in a toilet cubicle after one device exploded prematurely. The blast sent customers fleeing in panic as the bomber staggered out with serious injuries.
The court heard that Saeed-Alim's mother had taken her son to see a psychiatrist at the age of nine because of obsessive behaviour and temper tantrums. He felt rejected by his father and later by a girl. He began to self-harm, took an overdose at the age of 16 and was admitted to hospital after stabbing himself in the leg.
The court heard he struggled to make friends and had a low IQ of 83. He came across Islam on the internet and embraced extreme versions of jihad. He converted and changed his name in 2004. His doctor became so worried about his expressed desire to become a terrorist that he approached the police. A planned meeting, however, never took place.
A suicide note left in his bedroom described how he was motivated by the "disgusting" behaviour of people in Britain as well as the "war on Islam".