Michelle Heeley KC prosecuted the case of Mohammed Al Bared, a PhD student and supporter of Islamic State (IS).
The Crown’s case was that the defendant was building a drone capable of being assembled in the field for use in chemical warfare.
Over the course of a five-week trial, the court heard from expert witnesses about the drone’s capability, the potential effect of the chemicals the defendant was researching and how the weapon could be of use to Islamic State.
The defendant had denied supporting IS, but evidence showed he had completed an application form to join them and had been receiving propaganda material, including violent videos showing beheadings.
The defendant gave evidence over a week, and his account was shown to be false, with the jury unanimously convicting after less than 6 hours of deliberations.
He has been warned that he faces a lengthy jail sentence when he returns to court on 27th November.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-66947311
