A chemistry teacher of a school in Manchester pleaded guilty at a court here Monday to two Syria-related terrorism offenses.
Jamshed Javeed, 30, who taught at Sharples High School in Bolton, admitted to two counts of engaging in conduct in preparation of terror acts at Woolwich Crown Court in southeastern London, Xinhua reported citing British media Monday.
Reports said Javeed began to change his appearance and his behaviour became radicalised last year. He planned to fly to Syria to fight with Islamic State(IS) terrorist group, but failed when his family found his plan and confiscated his passport.
Javeed applied for a new passport and received it last December, but was arrested by anti-terror police on a tip-off in March. He was remanded in custody and will be sentenced in December.
"Here is an interesting case of somebody who has lived quite a normal, stable family life with children -- a school teacher leading on the face of it a fruitful life. But now he has pleaded guilty to two serious offences involving preparation of himself and others for terrorist offences," said Tony Mole, head of The North West Counter Terrorism Unit.
"The earlier we can be aware from the communities of people that might be showing some signs of going out to meet terrorist groups, or engage with terrorist groups, the more we can do on the prevention side of the business," he added.
"Anybody that goes out to ISIS (now known as IS), or get out to ISIS, is putting themselves, their family and their communities in a very vulnerable position. It is a life-changing decision," Mole said.
So far, an estimated 500 Britons have traveled to Iraq and Syria to join the IS, and 24 Britons are believed to have died in the fighting.
