A man from south east London convicted of helping a terrorist escape arrest after a failed bombing has been jailed.
Ismail Abdurahman, 39, was sentenced to eight months in prison on Wednesday, August 4, after he breached the terms of his release, namely failing to notify police of his new phone number, email and a vehicle he had access to.
The south east Londoner was sent to prison in 2008 after helping would-be bomber Hussain Osman evade police after a failed attack three years earlier.
Two weeks after suicide bombers killed 52 people in London in July 2005, Osman's attempt to create more carnage failed when four bombs failed to explode and a fifth was abandoned.
Abdurahman's sentence was lowered from 10 years to eight after an appeal, and after his release from prison in 2011 he was subject to licence conditions and notification orders for 15 years.
This means Ismail, like all criminals convicted for terror offences when released from prison, must keep police informed about his activities and changes of circumstances such as use of financial accounts, email accounts and vehicles.
In February 2020, Abdurahman was recalled to prison for an unrelated breach of his licence conditions.
Following this, counter terrorism officers searched Abdurahman’s room and found evidence that he was using an undeclared mobile phone number and email account, as well as documents suggesting he had previous use and ownership of a car and financial documents relating to accounts he hadn’t declared to police.
After further enquiries, Abdurahman was charged with five counts of breaching Part 4 Notification Order requirements under the Counter Terrorism Act, 2008, pleading guilty to three of the counts. Two counts (relating to the financial accounts) are to lie on file.
Commander Richard Smith, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command said: “When those convicted for terrorist offences are released from prison, they are subject to licence conditions and notification orders – as was Abdurahman in this case.
“These conditions and orders are designed to help keep the public safe and we will make sure we do everything we can, working with our partners, to monitor those subject to such measures. When they fail to comply, as Abdurahman did, we will not hesitate to investigate, and put them before the courts.”
Abdurahman was convicted of several breaches to his licence and sentenced to eight months in prison on Wednesday at Kingston Crown Court, south-west London.
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