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An extremist who opted to listen to “notorious terrorist loudmouths” and downloaded instructions on how to carry out attacks has been jailed for 32 months for a series of Islamist-related terror offences.
Zakaria Yanaouri, 21, of Worthing, West Sussex, had pleaded guilty to five counts of possessing material likely to be of use to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism, under Section 58 of the Terrorism Act.
Judge Philip Katz QC, sentencing at the Old Bailey, rejected Yanaouri’s claim that he only watched the “disgusting” materials such as images of Isis beheadings “out of curiosity”.
There was nothing to suggest that his views were based on ignorance or that he had a “genuine change of heart” from his views, the judge said.
Yanaouri was sentenced to 32 months imprisonment on each count, to be served concurrently.
The judge said Yanaouri, who was of previous good character, had opted to listen to “notorious terrorist loudmouths” instead of genuine clerics, and was “brainwashed by their propaganda”….
In police interview Yanaouri said he thought he had been arrested because he was listening to lectures about Sharia law and Jihad on his phone or on the computer.
He said he downloaded the lectures from sites that promoted so-called Islamic State and included speeches by extremists Anjem Choudary and Abu Izzadeen.
Yanaouri told police that he downloaded footage of beheadings and other atrocities to watch them out of “curiosity”.
He said he wanted there to be a war in Iraq and conflict, Mr Sellers told the court.
He put up posters at a mosque around the time of the general election, urging people not to vote.
In response to questions about his watching fighting or people being killed for engaging in the war against Islamic State, Yanaouri simply told the officers:
“Why didn’t they just accept Sharia law?”.
In police interview Yanaouri also said he would like to live under Sharia law and agreed with the teachings.
He agreed that people should fight to advance that cause….
