A teenage Islamic State fanatic who confessed to a plot to attack a police officer or soldier has been jailed for life with a minimum of six years after being reported to police by his mum.
Matthew King, 19, converted to Islam from his bedroom and self-radicalised online during the Covid-19 lockdown.
He expressed a desire to "torture, mutilate and kill military personnel" and the 19-year-old carried out surveillance on police stations, railway stations, magistrates' courts including Stratford in East London, and a British Army barracks.
He came to the attention of authorities after posting a video to a WhatsApp group in which he tried to sought advice on the best route to get to Syria.
The teen slowly descended into radical extremism over 2021, and in 2022 he began searching out "ISIS tactical knife training" and in March 2022 he was making notes on his phone about detonating bombs.
It was around this time he seemingly began scouting out possible locations, a court heard today.
He also bought "tactical gloves" and registered with an online knife retailer and his WhatsApp statement said "kill the non-Muslims wherever you see them".
Previously, at a hearing at the Old Bailey, King, from Wickford in Essex, pleaded guilty to preparation of terrorist acts between December 22, 2021 and May 17, 2022.
During this time, he spoke to a woman online, referenced as Ms A in court, about engaging in violent Jihad in Syria.
Throughout their messages, Ms A was "encouraging in her responses" and in one message King said he wanted to just "get his hands on an American marine, or a British marine".
Their chats were often violent, talking about mutilating people.
According to a written basis of plea document submitted by the defence, King “actively desired” to travel to Syria to areas controlled by IS to participate in their activities.
He had sought advice on social media about the best route to get there and discussed it on a WhatsApp group. He had revealed his plan to an individual identified only as “JF” and made videos expressing his admiration for IS.
King accepted that if his plan to go to Syria was frustrated, he considered carrying out an act of terrorism in the UK.
On May 18, 2022, police forced entry into his home and arrested him - during his arrest he made a number of "concerning statements" including enquiring about an officer's vest and asking if it's bulletproof.
He later said "I don't believe in UK law, I only believe in the law of Allah."
In a conversation with his mother about his time in jail, he said he needed to start training and would be a "machine" and he said "they won't let me have a driver's licence because I'll probably run people over".
King repeatedly threatened people in jail, including saying he wanted to "behead an Iman".
His intention to harm people was described in court as "not transitory" and experts were alarmed that his "duplicity" in trying to deceive people whilst seeking out like-minded individuals in prison.
Judge Mark Lucraft KC described him as posing a "significant risk" to the public of further terrorism offences.
He praised King's mother, saying: "She took the very bold step of alerting Prevent when she had concerns for her son. That cannot have been an easy thing to do in the first place and in my view she absolutely the right thing."
Handing the life sentence, judge Lucraft says whether 19-year-old King will be released at the end of the six-year minimum term is a matter for the parole board.
If he is released, he will be on licence and liable to be recalled to prison for the rest of his life.
