A 19-year-old Islamic State-inspired suspect today admitted plotting attacks on the iconic Buckingham Palace and an Elton John concert among other potential London targets.
Haroon Syed pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey court here to "researching, planning and attempting to source" materials for home-made explosive devices for use in attacks on Buckingham Palace and an Elton John concert in Hyde Park, among other potential London targets.
Syed, warned by Judge Michael Topolskithat a life sentence is likely to be handed down, will be sentenced on June 8 after a probation and psychiatric report.
The Londonerpleaded guilty to a plot running from April to September 2016 to get materials for a bomb to stage attacks.
The Elton John concert researched by him fell on the anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the US.
He was arrested in September 2016 after he told an undercover officer of his desire to get bomb-making material and chatted online with undercover British agents.
Syed's older brother, Nadir Syed, was jailed last year for plotting an ISIS-inspired attack.
Haroon was caught after making contact with a spy using the name "Abu Yusuf" on his phone and social media.
When asked for details of his attack, he said he needed a machine gun and an explosive vest "so after some damage with machine gun...Martyrdom...That's what I'm planning to do," the court was told.
Throughout August 2016, discussions continued between Syed and Abu Yusuf about getting a bomb or a gun.
On August 30, Syed said, "I might put the bomb in the train and then I'm going to jump out so the bomb explodes on the train...Ask the brother if he can make that type of bomb with button."
He arranged to pick up the bomb, in exchange for 150 pounds, the following week.
When counter-terrorist police raided his west London home to arrest him on September 8, 2016, and demanded the password to his mobile phone, he told them, "Yeah I.S.I.S -- you like that?"
In legal papers prepared for his defence, Syed was described as "highly vulnerable due to family history, lack of education, addiction to violent online games and the arrest and imprisonment of his brother".
His lawyers said he had been groomed by radicals online, but had never intended to carry out an attack.
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