Story perspectives

Man Sentenced to Life for Terror Plot; Police Apologize

7/23/2026

Summary

Bashir Sentenced

Manchester Crown Court sentenced Mohammad Bashir to life with a 17-year minimum for preparing terrorist acts.
Bashir drove Jihad Al-Shamie to the UK Defence Academy in Shrivenham on 14 August 2025 for reconnaissance.
Jihad Al-Shamie attacked Heaton Park synagogue on 2 October 2025, killing Melvin Cravitz and Adrian Daulby before police shot him dead.
Police found deleted WhatsApp messages, prompting Sir Stephen Watson to apologise for not examining Al-Shamie’s seized phones before the attack.

Summary

Bloom Welcomes Apology

Raphi Bloom welcomed Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson’s apology and said the community will let the watchdog investigation proceed.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct has been assigned to review Greater Manchester Police’s handling of Al-Shamie’s seized devices and earlier investigations.
At the time of the October 2025 synagogue assault, Al-Shamie was on bail for an alleged rape, highlighting a lapse in assessing his extremist risk.

History

Historical Context

The 7 July 2005 coordinated suicide bombings killed 52 commuters and prompted the government, led by Prime Minister Tony Blair, to reject a public inquiry in 2006 and issue nine security recommendations, including improved intelligence recording by MI5. Decades later, renewed scrutiny of police handling of seized communications in recent incidents echoes those earlier oversight gaps.

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Bashir Sentenced

Manchester Crown Court sentenced Mohammad Bashir to life with a 17-year minimum for preparing terrorist acts.
Bashir drove Jihad Al-Shamie to the UK Defence Academy in Shrivenham on 14 August 2025 for reconnaissance.
Jihad Al-Shamie attacked Heaton Park synagogue on 2 October 2025, killing Melvin Cravitz and Adrian Daulby before police shot him dead.
Police found deleted WhatsApp messages, prompting Sir Stephen Watson to apologise for not examining Al-Shamie’s seized phones before the attack.

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