https://www.cps.gov.uk/crime-info/terrorism/counter-terrorism-division-crown-prosecution-service-cps-successful-prosecutions-2016
R v Ummariyat Mirza, Zainub Mirza and Madihah Taheer
On 29 March 2017, Ummariyat Mirza and Zainub Mirza, who are brother and sister, were travelling by car together and were stopped by armed police. Mobile telephones found in the car, as well as others seized during subsequent searches, were examined and a significant quantity of relevant mind-set material found on them.
The Mirza siblings had been sharing mind-set material since January 2017 and this had quickly escalated both in terms of the quantity and nature of the shared material. The majority of videos were shared by Zainub Mirza to Ummariyat Mirza. Messages obtained demonstrated, for example, that they shared extremist material and praised killings carried out by Islamic State. It also became clear that Ummariyat Mirza and his wife, Madihah Taheer, had been sharing mind-set material since March 2015.
The volume and nature of the material and supportive comments sent by Zainub Mirza fortified Ummariyat Mirza in his radical beliefs and he began to prepare to commit an act of terrorism in the United Kingdom, although there was no evidence of direct encouragement. He bought a plastic knife and trained by using it on a dummy, which was seized at the address where he and wife lived. He also bought a steel knife using his wife’s credit card with her knowledge and agreement after they had discussed the purchase over a period of some days. He researched how to conceal a weapon and then bought rope to make a covert harness.
The steel knife was recovered by police from his bedroom; it had rope (Paracord) attached to it, so it could be carried over the shoulder and concealed under clothing. Searches conducted on Ummariyat Mirza’s devices also revealed that he had researched potential targets for an attack in the UK including a military base in Birmingham and Jewish areas of the country.
Ummariyat and Zainub Mirza were both charged on 5 April 2017. Ummariyat Mirza was charged with an offence contrary to section 5 Terrorism Act 2006 and Zainub with five offences of disseminating terrorist publications contrary to section 2 Terrorism Act 2006.
The discovery of incriminating material on the seized devices resulted in Madihah Taheer, who was in the late stages of pregnancy, being arrested on 24 April 2017. Her mobile telephone was seized from her. Analysis of her messages demonstrated that she was a supporter of the so-called Islamic State and that she was aware and supportive of her husband in his aspirations to commit a terrorist attack. She provided her bank details to him for the purchase of the steel knife. She was also involved in the acquisition of a training dummy that was of an acceptable standard to her husband.
Madihah Taheer was charged on 25 April 2017 with an offence contrary to section 5 Terrorism Act 2006.
Ummariyat Mirza and his sister Zainub Mirza both pleaded guilty just before they were due to go to trial in October 2017. Madihah Taheer pleaded not guilty to a charge of assisting her husband in preparing to commit an act or acts of terrorism, contrary to section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006 and she was convicted after trial. On 13 December 2017 at Woolwich Crown Court Ummariyat Mirza received an extended sentence of 21 years’ imprisonment, Zainub Mirza was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment and Madihah Taheer to 11 years’ imprisonment.