Muslim extremist who tried to behead commuter at Tube station ‘had photos of Jihadi John, Lee Rigby and Hilary Benn on his phone’
Muhiddin Mire was motivated by revenge for Syria bombings, prosecutors claim
A MUSLIM extremist who tried to behead an innocent tube passenger had photos of Jihadi John and murdered Fusilier Lee Rigby on his phone, a court heard today.
Muhiddin Mire, 30, also downloaded pics of hostages about to be beheaded and one of Labour MP Hilary Benn making a speech in the House of Commons, jurors heard.
He had also made internet searches for Sharia Law, Muslim attacks in Texas, Islam v West and Islamic State on his Samsung mobile phone, according to prosecutors.
Mire was captured on CCTV carrying out the "brutal attack" on 56-year-old Lyle Zimmerman in the busy ticket hall at Leytonstone station in east London.
Mire, who has a history of mental illness, was allegedly 'motivated by revenge' after Brit MPs voted in favour of allied air strikes in Syria.
Prosecutor Jonathan Rees QC told the Old Bailey: “That debate took place on 2 December 2015 just three days before the incident.
“There were associated images of various comments that people had posted on social media which expressed concern at the collateral damage that the bombing would cause.
“The material suggests that he plainly had an interest in this topic.
“The prosecution suggest that the contents of his phone, when looked alongside what he said in the course of the incident, provide an indication as to what motivated the defendant to do what he did and what he was seeking to do to Mr Zimmerman.”
After raiding Mire’s flat police found a special edition of the book 'Milestones', by radical Islamist Syed Qutb, which included calls for armed jihad in support of Sharia law.
Officers also recovered a notebook containing handwritten notes listing the qualities needed by a mujihadeen commander to fight 'kuffar' non-Muslims, including the ability 'to attack like a wolf and carry weapons like an ant', jurors heard.
His phone had a pic of MP Hilary Benn delivering his speech to the House of Commons shortly before it voted in favour of airstrikes in ISIS controlled parts of Syria.
Pictures of hostages in a crouching position, about to be executed, show what he was intending to do to Mr Zimmerman, prosecutors suggest.
His phone also had images of Fusilier Rigby, who was hacked to death in Woolwich in May 2013, the court heard.
Mire, who was born in Somalia and came to the UK as a young boy, has a previous history of mental illness and told his GP a month before the attack he believed he was being followed by MI5 and MI6.
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At the time of the attack he had stopped working as a taxi driver and was living on benefits at a one-bed council flat near Leytonstone tube station.
He was heard shouting: “This is for my Syrian brothers” as he attacked passengers.
Musician Mr Zimmerman suffered three wounds to the neck but survived because the major blood vessels were not damaged.
Mire also tried to stab four other commuters during the attack at Leytonstone tube station in east London before being arrested as an onlooker shouted: 'You ain't no Muslim bruv'.
Prosecutor Jonathan Rees QC told the Old Bailey that there was no evidence anyone else was involved and said: “It appears he was acting alone, without any support.”
At 7pm on 5 December last year he wrestled Mr Zimmerman to the ground as he passed through the ticket barriers.
He repeatedly kicked him in the head before using a knife blade to saw at the victim's neck.
Mr Zimmerman suffered three knife wounds to the front of his neck but survived because none of his major blood vessels were damaged.
Mire then made his way up to street level and tried to stab a Polish man, Daniel Bielinski, who was with his girlfriend.
Mr Bielinski dodged out of the way and filmed Mire on a mobile phone as the attacker lunged at other commuters, including Serena Valori, security guard Andrius Sabaliauskas, and lift engineer David Pethers.
In the five minute clip, Mr Bielinski can be heard shouting: “What do you want with this knife? Why do you want to attack me? Why do you attack me and my girlfriend?”
The defendant replies: “You attack our land, our Muslim land.”
A panicked Mr Bielinski then cries out in Polish for someone to call the police and screams at commuters to be careful as Mires lunges at passers by.
Mire was Tasered by officers at least three times before being brought to the ground.
As he was cuffed, he said: “Why didn't you just finish me off? That's what we do.”
As he was led to the police car he was heard to say: “This is for Syria, my Muslim brothers.”
Mr Rees said: “The evidence suggests that the defendant was carrying out some sort of revenge attack for the bombings that were being carried out in ISIS controlled areas of Syria.”
The prosecutor said it was not suggested that Mire was legally insane at the time of the attack and added: “We will have to wait to see as the evidence emerges if his mental health has any bearing on the main issue that you have to decide in this case, whether or not at the time he attacked Mr Zimmerman he was intending to kill him.”
Mire admits wounding with intent on Mr Zimmerman and four counts of attempted wounding on David Pethers, Daniel Bielinski, Serena Valori and Andrius Sabaliauskas.
He denies attempted murder of Mr Zimmerman.
The trial continues.
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