ISIS fanatic Matthew King, 19, jailed for plotting to kill police and soldiers

The Old Bailey heard how King, who called himself Abdul Kalashnikov had expressed a specific desire to kill military personnel.

As part of the plot, he made preparations to stake-out a British Army barracks in Stratford, east London.

The 19-year-old discussed his murderous plans with an online girlfriend, described by the court as Miss A.

King, from Wickford in Essex, pleaded guilty in January to preparing acts of terrorism between December 2021 and May 2022.

Judge Mark Lucraft KC said King’s mother had “done exactly the right thing” by contacting the Prevent counter-extremism programme about her son.

Prosecutor Paul Jarvis said the investigation into King’s activities uncovered an “entrenched Islamist extremist mindset.”

He said it was clear that King held “extreme anti-western views and intended to commit terrorist acts both in the UK and abroad.”

In his early teens, he had “dabbled with drugs” and was expelled from school after becoming aggressive, before eventually leaving education at 16.

Around 2020, he became interested in Islam, began to attend mosques and watched Muslim videos on YouTube.

By May 2021, his family noticed he had become more extreme and his mother became concerned he was watching material online promoting hatred, Mr Jarvis said.

He had also developed a friendship with Miss A, who he met online.

He told her about his jihadist intent, saying: “I just wanna die a martyr.”

When Miss A appeared to support and encourage him, King responded: “I guess jihadi love is powerful. I just want to kill people.”

In further graphic online conversations, Miss A talked about torturing, mutilating and beheading a soldier and then cutting up the body parts, the court was told.

Meanwhile, King had set up an online account with the retailer Knife Warehouse and bought “tactical gloves” and googles.

His younger sister told the police that her brother had entered her bedroom dressed in combat clothing and goggles and asked her if she liked his clothes.

He made videos as he studied potential target, including Stratford Army barracks, police officers outside Stratford Magistrates’ Court and on patrol at a local railway station.

Some of his reconnaissance videos were overlaid with nasheeds – Islamic chants – and he posted on Snapchat: “Target acquired.”

While planning acts of terrorism in the UK, King had also expressed a desire to travel to Syria to join the ISIS terror group.

The teenager sought advice on social media about the best route to cross the border into Syria and searched for ISIS tactical training videos in the use of knives.

The Old Bailey was told that he also carried out web searches for terrorist killers including the Manchester Arena bomber and ISIS executioner Jihadi John.

Authorities were alerted after King posted an image on WhatsApp of a man holding a knife with the words: “Those who said that there is no jihad and no battle. They are lying!”

After his arrest, King told investigators “The only thing which is black and white is the sharia, the law of Allah.”

On being cautioned, he said: “I don’t believe in the UK law, the only law I believe in is the law of Allah.”

At the Old Bailey today, King was jailed for a minimum of six years.

Passing sentence, judge Lucraft KC said: "The risks around you, albeit as a young man, are clear and concerning."