A white Muslim convert accused of a terrorism offence discussed targeting Royal Wootton Bassett and officers from MI5 and MI6, a court heard today.
White Muslim convert, Richard Dart, 29, is charged along with two other men with preparing for acts of terrorism over a two-year period by travelling to Pakistan for training and providing information for others about how to do the same.
Westminister magistrates’ court heard claims that Dart talked about possible targets, including Royal Wootton Bassett, where mourners paid their respects to British troops killed in Afghanistan from 2007 until September last year.
Bearded Dart, who wore green Islamic robes under a black fleece jacket, appeared in a BBC documentary last year about his conversion to Islam made by his own brother.
Dart, of Broadway, Ealing, west London, former police community support officer Jahangir Alom, 26, of Abbey Road, Stratford, east London, and Imran Mahmood, 21, of Dabbs Hill Lane, Northolt, north London, are charged with preparing for acts of terrorism between July 25 2010 and July 6 this year.
They are alleged to have travelled to Pakistan for terrorism training, to have travelled abroad to commit acts of terrorism, and to have advised and counselled the commission of terrorist acts by providing information about travel to Pakistan and terrorism training, and operational security whilst there.
Ruksana Begum, 22, of Provost Estate, Islington, north London, is charged with possession of a digital memory card containing documents likely to be of use to a terrorist on July 5.
They were all arrested by officers from the Metropolitan Police’s counter-terrorism command in raids at the start of this month. Scotland Yard said none of the alleged offences was linked to the Olympics.
Howard Riddle, the chief magistrate, remanded all four in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on July 31.
A council worker also appeared at the same court today charged over a separate counter-terrorism investigation.
Khalid Baqa, 47, of Priory Road, Barking, east London, is charged with three counts of possessing terrorist material and one count of disseminating terrorist material after police allegedly found CDs containing a document called 39 Ways To Support And Participate In Jihad and four issues of a jihadist magazine called Inspire.
The revenue officer for Hackney Council in east London was remanded in custody until another hearing at Westminster magistrates’ court on July 26.
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