Two men were convicted on Tuesday of plotting an attack on the Jewish community in northwest England inspired by the Islamic State with the aim of killing hundreds of innocent people with automatic firearms.
Walid Saadaoui, 38, and Amar Hussein, 52, were found guilty of a single charge of preparing terrorist acts after a trial at Preston Crown Court, which began a week after an unconnected deadly attack on a synagogue in nearby Manchester.
The verdicts also come little more than a week after two men fired on a Jewish Hanukkah celebration on Sydney's Bondi Beach, killing 15 people in another apparent IS-inspired attack that raised fears of rising antisemitism.
Both Saadaoui and Hussein had pleaded not guilty and Saadaoui said that he had played along with the plot out of fear for his life, telling jurors: "I had no intention to carry out a terrorist attack or hurt anybody."
Hussein did not give evidence and barely attended his trial after he angrily shouted from the dock as prosecutors outlined the facts of the case on the first day, saying "how many babies?" in an apparent reference to Israel's war in Gaza.
The two plotted to 'kill as many Jews as possible'
The two were accused of preparing terrorist acts and plotting to “kill as many Jews as possible.” According to the prosecution, Saadaoui and Hussein planned to attack a mass gathering of Jewish people with a third party named “Farouk,” who was an undercover operative.
The two were found guilty of the intention to commit acts of terrorism, arranging the purchase and delivery of firearms, conducting reconnaissance, and making plans of attack. The prosecution had already told the court that Saadoui had access to weapons such as assault rifles used in the terror attacks in Paris in 2015 when 130 people were killed, and that they were awaiting the delivery of more weaponry to aid a deadly attack.
Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.