A British jihadist has been found guilty of plotting a Poppy Day beheading on the order of a 'chilling' Islamic State fatwa which told followers to bring terror to the West.
Nadir Syed, 22, planned to commit a brutal murder similar to the death of Lee Rigby in the run up to last year's Remembrance commemorations after he was stopped from boarding a flight to Turkey.
He was arrested just days before Remembrance Sunday after buying an 11-inch knife from Kitchen Ideas, in Ealing, moments after he been handed an ASBO for a public order offence.
Police found gruesome ISIS propaganda on his mobile phone glorifying the beheading of westerners and even a homemade video of him stamping on a poppy in the street.
He had also praised the actions of Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, who hacked Drummer Rigby to death in Woolwich in May 2013.
Syed denied preparing an act of terror but a jury found he had researched, planned and secured weapons in the months leading up to his arrest to attack people in Britain using knives.
Wearing a maroon sweatshirt and Islamic skull cap, bearded Syed showed no emotion as they returned their verdict after 50 hours and 56 minutes deliberation at Woolwich Crown Court.
Extremist lectures above a Southall restaurant
Syed was born in Barking, but he and his family spent time in Pakistan in 2002 and 2006 before settling in Southall. He drank alcohol, smoked, went to parties and was into rap music, even posting a homemade video to YouTube.
But during Ramadan in 2012, he gave up drinking and listening to music and began attending mosques in Southall and Hounslow before attending extremist lectures held in the upstairs room of a Southall restaurant.
He took to running "dawah" stalls to "invite people to the faith and give Muslims the correct understanding of the oneness of god" and went on marches and demonstrations "against the war in Syria, oppression by the Syrian government and wars in Iraq" Syed told jurors.
Prosecutor Max Hill QC said passport was confiscated by police when he was stopped from boarding a flight to Turkey on 19 January last year and "was effectively landlocked in this country".
'Rig the roads with explosives'
Syed was obsessed with graphic footage of murders and beheadings and praised the actions of those who had committed terror attacks around the world.
He was later inspired to carry out a copycat attack by a 41-minute hate speech delivered by chief ISIS spokesman Abu Muhammad al-Adnani in which he told extremists to strike 'wherever' they may be.
The propagandist urged jihadists to "rig the roads with explosives", "raid their homes" and "cut off their heads" as well as inviting attacks on "police, security and intelligence members".
The September 2014 fatwa also singled out the "spiteful and filthy French" and told listeners: "Smash his head with a rock, or slaughter him with a knife, or run him over with your car, or throw him from a high place, or choke him, or poison him."
The prosecutor described the fatwa as "truly chilling" before passages were read out in court.
One warned westerners: "You will pay the price as you are afraid of travelling to any land.
"Rather you will pay the price as you walk on your streets, turning left and right, fearing the Muslims."
On November 6, he was given an ASBO at Ealing Magistrates' Court for the public order offence and was arrested after buying an 11-inch kitchen knife.
Nadir Syed, of Ambassador Close, Hounslow, denied preparing an act of terrorism.
* A retrial was ordered for co-defendants Yousaf Syed, 19, of West Wycombe Road, High Wycombe; and Haseeb Hamayoon, 27, of Tudor Road, Hayes, after the jury was unable to reach a verdict.
The fresh trial on the same charge will be held in the new year.
