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| Would-be terrorists held 'silent conversations' on laptop, court told | Would-be terrorists held 'silent conversations' on laptop, court told |
| (17 days later) | |
| Two British-born Islamic extremists used a laptop to hold "silent conversations" about terrorist plans that included Wootton Bassett as a potential target, a court has heard. | Two British-born Islamic extremists used a laptop to hold "silent conversations" about terrorist plans that included Wootton Bassett as a potential target, a court has heard. |
| Richard Dart and Imran Mahmood tried to avoid surveillance by typing into a Word document on a laptop rather than speaking aloud, prosecutors claim. | Richard Dart and Imran Mahmood tried to avoid surveillance by typing into a Word document on a laptop rather than speaking aloud, prosecutors claim. |
| Dart, 30, who is originally from Dorset and is the son of teachers, was trying to get advice from Mahmood about getting terrorist training in Pakistan. | Dart, 30, who is originally from Dorset and is the son of teachers, was trying to get advice from Mahmood about getting terrorist training in Pakistan. |
| He, Mahmood and co-defendant Jahangir Alom all admitted engaging in conduct in preparation of acts of terrorism last month. | He, Mahmood and co-defendant Jahangir Alom all admitted engaging in conduct in preparation of acts of terrorism last month. |
| On Wednesday the sentencing process, which could take two days, began at the Old Bailey. | On Wednesday the sentencing process, which could take two days, began at the Old Bailey. |
| Prosecutor Jonathan Laidlaw QC told the court: "The method employed as the police, with the help of computer experts, would subsequently discover, involved Dart and Mahmood sitting together at a computer and opening a Word document on the computer to conduct what in effect was a silent conversation. | Prosecutor Jonathan Laidlaw QC told the court: "The method employed as the police, with the help of computer experts, would subsequently discover, involved Dart and Mahmood sitting together at a computer and opening a Word document on the computer to conduct what in effect was a silent conversation. |
| "Having had that discussion by typing into the document, the document was then deleted by one or other of the defendants, without having been saved and as far as the defendants were concerned the document would therefore be destroyed forever. | "Having had that discussion by typing into the document, the document was then deleted by one or other of the defendants, without having been saved and as far as the defendants were concerned the document would therefore be destroyed forever. |
| "They plainly were under the misapprehension that the text once deleted could never be recovered." | "They plainly were under the misapprehension that the text once deleted could never be recovered." |
| The tactic suggested that they were aware that they might be under surveillance, the court heard. | The tactic suggested that they were aware that they might be under surveillance, the court heard. |
| Laidlaw added: "It is obvious, suggest the prosecution, from the covert method of communication employed that they were surveillance-conscious and had received anti-surveillance instruction or training. | Laidlaw added: "It is obvious, suggest the prosecution, from the covert method of communication employed that they were surveillance-conscious and had received anti-surveillance instruction or training. |
| "They knew that their activities were likely to be of interest to the authorities and that ordinary conversation within their homes may be recorded by listening devices." | "They knew that their activities were likely to be of interest to the authorities and that ordinary conversation within their homes may be recorded by listening devices." |
| In the conversations, Dart asked Mahmood about getting contacts with the Pakistan Taliban, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, which was banned in the UK in 2011. | In the conversations, Dart asked Mahmood about getting contacts with the Pakistan Taliban, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, which was banned in the UK in 2011. |
| The pair discussed how to make explosives, and Mahmood made reference to the military tribute town Wootton Bassett as a potential target. | The pair discussed how to make explosives, and Mahmood made reference to the military tribute town Wootton Bassett as a potential target. |
| He went on: "They're all combatant so if it comes down to it, it's that or even just to deal with a few MI5, MI6 heads." | He went on: "They're all combatant so if it comes down to it, it's that or even just to deal with a few MI5, MI6 heads." |
| He also said: "The real war is here not over there." | He also said: "The real war is here not over there." |
| Dart, of Broadway, Ealing, west London; Mahmood, 22, from Dabbs Hill Lane, Northolt, west London, and Alom, 26, of Abbey Road, Stratford, east London, were all Islamic extremists "committed" to terrorism, Laidlaw said. | Dart, of Broadway, Ealing, west London; Mahmood, 22, from Dabbs Hill Lane, Northolt, west London, and Alom, 26, of Abbey Road, Stratford, east London, were all Islamic extremists "committed" to terrorism, Laidlaw said. |
| Alom had his own contact with a fourth man, Mohammed Tariq Nasar, a Briton living in Pakistan, to try to get terrorist training, it is claimed. Nasar has not been charged with any offence. | Alom had his own contact with a fourth man, Mohammed Tariq Nasar, a Briton living in Pakistan, to try to get terrorist training, it is claimed. Nasar has not been charged with any offence. |
| Prosecutors say that all three defendants travelled to Pakistan for terrorist training, although Dart and Alom were unsuccessful in that aim. | Prosecutors say that all three defendants travelled to Pakistan for terrorist training, although Dart and Alom were unsuccessful in that aim. |
| Mahmood asked Dart to try to get a specific book detailing how to make explosives, the court heard. | Mahmood asked Dart to try to get a specific book detailing how to make explosives, the court heard. |
| In an apparent reference to travelling to Pakistan with Alom, Dart said: "Bro I'm going with wanted to do something here but I said let's abroad, can you try them out in the mountains in Wales because you don't want to go to all that effort and it doesn't work out." | In an apparent reference to travelling to Pakistan with Alom, Dart said: "Bro I'm going with wanted to do something here but I said let's abroad, can you try them out in the mountains in Wales because you don't want to go to all that effort and it doesn't work out." |
| The fragments of conversation retrieved from the computer were from November 2011. | The fragments of conversation retrieved from the computer were from November 2011. |
| Early the following year, in February 2012, Dart and Mahmood met in person at a Subway restaurant in Ealing, west London, and were overheard by surveillance teams talking about areas where fighting was happening and the word "beheading" was used. | Early the following year, in February 2012, Dart and Mahmood met in person at a Subway restaurant in Ealing, west London, and were overheard by surveillance teams talking about areas where fighting was happening and the word "beheading" was used. |
| Dart said: "Things have to be done. It doesn't matter even if you're in this country or abroad, things have to be done." | Dart said: "Things have to be done. It doesn't matter even if you're in this country or abroad, things have to be done." |
| He went on: "A lot of brothers are scared of going inside for it but I'm not. I don't need brothers around me to study jihad." | He went on: "A lot of brothers are scared of going inside for it but I'm not. I don't need brothers around me to study jihad." |
| The hearing continues. | The hearing continues. |
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