An Al Qaeda-inspired British terrorist who contemplated mass murder at the late Queen’s funeral and wanted to orchestrate gun attacks across Europe with President Macron among the targets has been jailed for life.
Edward Little, 22, discussed online his ambition to acquire a Mac-10 submachine gun and an AK-47 assault rifle as he ramped up preparations for an attack.
By the time of his arrest in September last year, Little had settled on killing a Christian preacher at Speaker’s Corner in Hyde Park.
He was captured by anti-terror police in a taxi from Brighton to London, carrying £5,000 which he planned to use to buy a gun.
Little, who converted to Islam while in prison, admitted preparing acts of terrorism, and refused to come to court for his televised sentencing hearing where he was jailed for life by Mrs Justice McGowan and told - in his absence - that he would serve a minimum of 16 years.
She said an attack at Speaker's Corner would have risked the lives of many people of all faiths and struck terror, she said.
The judge found Little's attack plan was "viable" and Little posed a future danger to members of the public.
"(The attack) was very likely to have been carried out and there was a risk of many deaths as a direct result. It was only your arrest that prevented your planned attack", she said.
Prosecutor Duncan Penny KC said the Queen’s funeral at Westminster Abbey was identified previously by Little as a possible target, as “tyrants of the earth” would be attending.
But Little dismissed the idea as “too late” as the service was set for the following day.
He was arrested just five days later, on September 23 last year, while en route to buy the gun.
Mr Penny said Little had said online that he planned to emulate the killers of Lee Rigby, Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, by waiting at the scene of the crime for police rather than fleeing.
“I will do what Michael and Michael done and just wait”, he said.
In recovered online chats, he discussed the murderous attack on the offices of French magazine Charlie Hebdo, contemplated attacks on police and soldiers, and also plottedto “storm” a government building near Hyde Park while armed with an AK-47.
“The park is famous for freedom of speech. An attack there would send a strong message”, he said.
Three weeks before his arrest, Little “encouraged” another extremist to “arrange an attack in Europe to be co-ordinated with (his)”, said Mr Penny, who addedthat they “discussed the assassination of President Macron".
Plans were laid out in recovered encrypted chats on the Threema messaging platform, including one message from Little which read: “I don’t think there has been an attack inthe UK with guns so a semi-automatic rifle would send a even stronger message.
Little’s finalised plan was to “murder the Christian preacher Hatun Tash at Speaker’s Corner in Hyde Park”, said Mr Penny.
“The defendant planned to murder those who were with Hatun Tash, and any police officers or soldiers who were in the area.
UK-born Little,who lives in Brighton, was said to have converted to Islam at Cookham Wood Young Offender Institution in Kent and at HMP Deerbolt in County Durham, afterhe turned 18.
Last summer, he downloaded extremist propaganda including copies of the al-Qaida publication Inspire.
In the recovered chatlogs, Little also said he may wear a camera so he could live-stream the attack.
On September 23, Little agreed to pay a taxi driver £300 to take him from Brighton to Lewisham, south London, saying money was no problem.
On his arrest, he was carrying a rucksack with £5,000 in cash, a passport and two mobile phones.
Little declined to answer questions in police interviews but his mood changed when he was shown a YouTube view of the preacher.
He launched himself from his chair across the table at an officer, swinging repeatedly with his fists before being restrained.
He went on to admit assaulting the officer at Newbury Police Station last September 28 and was sentenced to eight months in prison.
Little has also pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent to a fellow inmate at Belmarsh prison on April 3.
He attacked the victim with boiling water mixed with sugar and two razor blades for “disrespecting” his religion.
Speaking afterwards, Detective Chief Superintendent Olly Wright said: "This is a very, very dangerous man who's been stopped from carrying out a terrorist attack. I'm absolutely convinced of that - and lives have been saved as a result.
"Obviously, he had a target at Speakers' Corner but anyone who got in his way, like a police officer or members of the public, could have been at risk."
