Manchester Teacher Jailed for Plotting to Join Islamic State

A Manchester chemistry teacher has been jailed for six years for planning to travel to Syria and join Islamic State fighters. Jamshed Javeed was only thwarted when his family became concerned and hid his passport.

Sky News reports he had already arranged for his brother and a friend to travel to Syria. Both are believed to have been killed fighting for Islamic State.

Judge Michael Topolski QC said: “You remain adherent to a violent jihadist mindset,” adding: “You should be considered to be a dangerous offender.”

Javeed was determined to “fight and die” for Islamic State, the judge said. “So determined were you to go yourself that you continually ignored the pleas of your wife and parents”.

Javeed was caught when he applied for a new passport in December 2013. Counter-terror police searched his laptop, revealing his fascination with violent jihad. His search history included “martyrdom operations in Islam”, “soldier shooting in the chest” and “Royal Marine murder”.

His phone contained a biography of Osama bin Laden as well as photographs of people in military clothing holding or firing weapons, Islamic State flags and people holding severed heads.

Javeed’s family recorded arguments where his parents and sister begged him not to go to Syria, but he simply responded: “I am going to go regardless.” His father even threatens to testify against, to which Javeed replies: “Okay, do it.”

Speaking for the prosecution, Simon Denison QC said that Javeed was “preparing himself to commit multiple acts of murder.”

One student at Sharples School, where Javeed taught chemistry, told Sky News: “Everyone was shocked. They didn’t want him to go because he was a good teacher.”

Detective Chief Superintendant Tony Mole said: “What it demonstrates, this case, is whether you’re a young, volatile teenager; whether you’re a person that is vulnerable to some kind of radicalisation; or you’re a normal family man or family woman who appears to be normal; there are certain types of people I think who are susceptible to the propaganda that is put out and susceptible to that type of radicalisation.”

Javeed was also sentenced to a further three years on licence.