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| Syria aid convoys: Two guilty over terror funding | Syria aid convoys: Two guilty over terror funding |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Two UK men have been convicted of using Syria aid convoys to funnel cash to extremists in the war zone. | Two UK men have been convicted of using Syria aid convoys to funnel cash to extremists in the war zone. |
| The Muslim community-led convoys became unwitting vehicles for the plan to fund terrorism, the Old Bailey heard. | The Muslim community-led convoys became unwitting vehicles for the plan to fund terrorism, the Old Bailey heard. |
| One of the targeted aid missions included Alan Henning, the Eccles taxi driver later kidnapped and murdered by militants from so-called Islamic State. | One of the targeted aid missions included Alan Henning, the Eccles taxi driver later kidnapped and murdered by militants from so-called Islamic State. |
| Syed Hoque, 37, of Stoke-on-Trent, and Mashoud Miah, 27, of east London, were both convicted of funding terrorism. | Syed Hoque, 37, of Stoke-on-Trent, and Mashoud Miah, 27, of east London, were both convicted of funding terrorism. |
| This is the first court verdict showing that some aid convoys were abused. | This is the first court verdict showing that some aid convoys were abused. |
| A third defendant, Huddersfield charity worker Pervez Rafiq, 46, was cleared of involvement in their plans. Mohammed Hussain, 30, of east London, was also found not guilty. | A third defendant, Huddersfield charity worker Pervez Rafiq, 46, was cleared of involvement in their plans. Mohammed Hussain, 30, of east London, was also found not guilty. |
| The outcome of the case raises questions about whether charities organising humanitarian convoys, to transport aid and medical supplies to foreign conflict zones, have the means to identify potential abuse - and whether they are capable of stopping it. | |
| The huge aid convoys dried up amid government pressure following Alan Henning's kidnap in December 2013 and reports that British jihadists had used them as cover. | |
| The Old Bailey heard that Hoque's nephew, Mohammed Choudhury, had left for Syria in early 2013 and ultimately joined the al-Nusra Front, the largest jihadist organisation in the war zone after so-called Islamic State. | |
| Using social media, he asked Hoque for cash to buy a specialist sniper rifle and the pair discussed in detail the type of weaponry he needed. | |
| Hoque agreed to supply £3,000 with the help of co-defendant Mashoud Miah who, at the time, was moving in and out of the region. | |
| Aid convoy | |
| In July, the men joined a massive British aid convoy and set off to hand the cash over to the fighter. | |
| The humanitarian mission involved 100 vehicles including ambulances and large lorries packed with supplies. There was no suggestion in the trial that the convoy's organisers knew of the pair's plans. | |
| After the cash was delivered, Choudhury maintained contact with Hoque, later telling him of his desire to kill disbelievers. The court heard that Hoque replied: "No mutilating, just beheading." | |
| Hoque admitted supplying the cash - but told the jury he wanted his nephew to be able to defend himself and did not believe he was breaking the law. | |
| He supplied a further tranche of £1,500 which was taken into Syria in the December 2013 aid convoy which had included Mr Henning. |