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| Birmingham woman, 21, guilty of aiding knife terror plot | Birmingham woman, 21, guilty of aiding knife terror plot |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A 21-year-old woman has been found guilty of buying a combat knife to help her husband prepare to carry out a planned terror attack in Birmingham. | A 21-year-old woman has been found guilty of buying a combat knife to help her husband prepare to carry out a planned terror attack in Birmingham. |
| Madihah Taheer, from the city, denied preparing an act of terrorism by assisting her husband Ummariyat Mirza earlier this year. | Madihah Taheer, from the city, denied preparing an act of terrorism by assisting her husband Ummariyat Mirza earlier this year. |
| Woolwich Crown Court heard the husband and wife team had developed their plans after falling in love as teenagers. | Woolwich Crown Court heard the husband and wife team had developed their plans after falling in love as teenagers. |
| In March, armed police arrested the husband at gunpoint in Birmingham. | In March, armed police arrested the husband at gunpoint in Birmingham. |
| They acted on MI5 intelligence that Mirza was going to carry out a rampaging knife attack, similar to those seen this year in London. | They acted on MI5 intelligence that Mirza was going to carry out a rampaging knife attack, similar to those seen this year in London. |
| His arrest on 29 March came exactly one week after the Westminster Bridge terror attack in London. | His arrest on 29 March came exactly one week after the Westminster Bridge terror attack in London. |
| The court was told the pair had initially hoped to travel to Syria to aid the Islamic State group - but decided to carry out an attack in their home city instead. | |
| Taheer also allowed her debit card to be used to buy a plastic knife and a lifelike training dummy so that her husband could practise an attack, the court heard. | |
| The dummy was found in their home with slash marks on the forehead, across the throat and abdomen. | The dummy was found in their home with slash marks on the forehead, across the throat and abdomen. |
| The jury at Woolwich Crown Court took less than a day to convict Taheer. | The jury at Woolwich Crown Court took less than a day to convict Taheer. |
| The jurors were shown a text message that Taheer sent to Mirza in September 2015, before the couple were married. "Can we get married already," she wrote. "I want u to kill ppl for me. I have a list." | The jurors were shown a text message that Taheer sent to Mirza in September 2015, before the couple were married. "Can we get married already," she wrote. "I want u to kill ppl for me. I have a list." |
| The court was shown another message she sent to Mirza a month later, where Taheer said it was her "dream" to hurt or kill a person the pair both knew. | The court was shown another message she sent to Mirza a month later, where Taheer said it was her "dream" to hurt or kill a person the pair both knew. |
| He responded by sending her a video of him making stabbing motions towards a chair - and asking her to buy him a knife. | |
| Mirza, a former accountant, pleaded guilty to the plotting charge earlier this month. | Mirza, a former accountant, pleaded guilty to the plotting charge earlier this month. |
| His older sister, Zainub Mirza, pleaded guilty in October to sending him terrorist material, including a video showing an IS hostage being beheaded. | His older sister, Zainub Mirza, pleaded guilty in October to sending him terrorist material, including a video showing an IS hostage being beheaded. |
| All three will be sentenced at a later date. | All three will be sentenced at a later date. |
| Sue Hemming, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said there was "little doubt" that Mirza had the knife to carry out a terror attack in the UK. | Sue Hemming, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said there was "little doubt" that Mirza had the knife to carry out a terror attack in the UK. |
| "The prosecution's case was that his wife was a willing accomplice who bought the knife knowing what he was planning to do," she said. | "The prosecution's case was that his wife was a willing accomplice who bought the knife knowing what he was planning to do," she said. |
| "This couple posed a serious threat to the public in Britain and now face the prospect of time in prison where they will no longer be a danger." | "This couple posed a serious threat to the public in Britain and now face the prospect of time in prison where they will no longer be a danger." |