THE London Bridge terrorist who killed two innocent people during yesterday’s rampage had previously boasted about his UK benefits while plotting a “Mumbai-style attack”.
Usman Khan, 28, from Staffordshire, was freed last December and police said he was “known to authorities” after he was convicted in 2012 for terror offences.
He was out on licence when he stabbed a man and woman to death and injured three others while wearing a fake suicide jacket.
Khan was shot dead by armed police after heroic Londoners tackled him to the pavement.
He was living in Stafford and had been fitted with an electronic tag to follow his movements since he was released.
The Parole Board said in a statement this morning they had “no involvement” in Khan’s release.
It added it he appeared “to have been released automatically on licence (as required by law), without ever being referred to the Board”.
Khan was originally from Tunstall and was was arrested in 2010 in a major counter-terrorism operation.
He was jailed as part of a nine-man terror group who plotted to bomb the London Stock Exchange and build a terrorist training camp.
The men were inspired by al-Qaeda and had been under surveillance by MI5.
‘NEVERMIND WORKING’
Khan and the plotters had plans to raise funds to build a terrorist training camp in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir.
The group also had plans to carry out a “Mumbai-style attack” on high-profile figures, according to court documents.
Khan was recorded by police boasting about his UK benefits could him the same amount in a day that people in Kashmir in a month.
He said: “On jobseeker’s allowance we can earn that, never mind working for that.”
In recordings of Khan discussed he wanted to raise funds for the camp to train a “significant” number of British Muslims to become “more serious and effective terrorists”, according to court documents.
What was observed during the indictment period was planning for the immediate future, not involving suicide attacks, so that there would be a long-term future which would include further acts of terrorism.Andrew Edis, Prosecuting At The Time
In one conversation that Khan was being monitored he discussed about “how to construct a pipe bomb” from a recipe in al-Qaeda magazine Inspire.
Andrew Edis, prosecuting at the time, said the plotters “had in overview decided that ultimately they would be responsible for very serious acts of terrorism”.
He said: “What was observed during the indictment period was planning for the immediate future, not involving suicide attacks, so that there would be a long-term future which would include further acts of terrorism.”
Mr Justice Wilkie, the judge in the case, said the group’s actions showed a “serious, long-term venture into terrorism” and could have resulted atrocities across the UK.
The judge branded Khan and two plotters as “the more serious jihadists” of the group.
He was sentenced in 2012 to indeterminate detention for “public protection” with a minimum jail term of eight years, which would have allowed him to be kept behind bars longer.
However, in 2013 the Court of Appeal quashed the sentence and replaced it with a 16-year-fixed term, of which Khan should serve half in prison.
The court of appeal judgement said: “The groups were clearly considering a range of possibilities including fundraising for the establishment of a military training madrassa in Pakistan, where they would undertake training themselves and recruit others to do likewise, sending letter bombs through the post, attacking public houses used by British racist groups, attacking a high profile target with an explosive device and a Mumbai-style attack.”
It also added the group had “serious long to plans” to send Khan and others for “training and terrorist experience”.
It continued: “Should they return to the UK they would do so trained and experienced in terrorism.
“They engaged with the others who were contemplating short term attacks in the UK but rightly considered themselves to be more serious jihadis than the others.”
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