Man, 31, jailed for 17 years for plotting separate terror attacks alongside Manchester synagogue knifeman

By JAMES TOZER, NORTHERN CORRESPONDENT Published: 11:01, 23 July 2026 | Updated: 11:29, 23 July 2026 A police chief today said he was ‘deeply sorry’ for a ‘missed opportunity’ to investigate the Manchester synagogue terrorist before last October’s atrocity in which two worshippers died. Sir Stephen Watson, Chief Constable of Greater Manchester, issued his apology as an associate of Jihad Al-Shamie was jailed for life for plotting with him to attack Israeli soldiers at a UK training base two months earlier. It can now be revealed that police seized two phones from Al-Shamie months before he rammed his car into the wall outside Heaton Park Synagogue in October 2025. The handsets were taken when he was arrested on February 13, 2025, eight months before the attack, on an allegation of breaching a non-molestation order, and again on September 21 on an allegation of rape. But conversations in which Al-Shamie discussed getting ‘war ready’ and saying he’d ‘had enough of this world’ were not accessed until after the atrocity. Examination of his phones also revealed that, two months before the attack, Mohammad Bashir, 31, a delivery driver who lived with his parents, had driven the terrorist on a reconnaissance mission to the UK Defence Academy at Shrivenham in Oxfordshire. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has launched an inquiry and the issue is also expected to be examined by the inquest into the attack. As 'committed jihadist' Bashir was today jailed for life for plotting to attack the military base, Sir Stephen apologised to the families of Melvin Cravitz, 66, who was stabbed to death by Al-Shamie, and Adrian Daulby, 53, who was tragically struck by a stray bullet when officers gunned down the terrorist, who was wearing a fake suicide belt. Mohammad Asim Bashir, 31, a delivery driver from Cheetham Hill, Manchester, admits preparing a terrorist attack by driving Heaton Park Synagogue attacker Jihad al-Shamie to carry out hostile reconnaissance on another potential target two months earlier Synagogue attacker Jihad Al–Shamie (pictured) died in the attack in Heaton Park on October 2, 2025 ‘In conducting an internal review, it became apparent that Greater Manchester Police had seized Al-Shamie’s mobile devices, at the point of each arrest,’ he said. ‘The significance of the data contents of these devices was substantial in respect of evidencing an extremist mindset. ‘Regrettably, I can confirm that the significance of the information stored on Al-Shamie’s devices was not realised as they had not been examined before the attack took place on October 2, 2025. ‘It is for the IOPC and the Coronial Inquests to determine the impact of not reviewing the contents of the devices. ‘There can however, be little doubt that the information contained within these devices would have inspired further investigative action.  'It is clear that our not having reviewed the data available to us prior to the attack constitutes a missed opportunity. 'I am disappointed at the prospect of adding to the distress of all of those affected by the terrible events last October.  Al-Shamie, from Prestwich, Greater Manchester, drove his black Kia Picanto into a security guard outside the synagogue on October 2, 2025 before stabbing to death Mr Cravitz as worshippers barricaded themselves inside. Tragically a stray bullet killed Mr Daulby, who was among those preventing the attacker from entering the building. Al-Shamie and Bashir previously plotted to attack the UK Defence Academy in order to target soldiers from the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) who they believed were being trained there, Manchester Crown Court heard yesterday. It provides defence and security education to the British Armed Forces, UK government, industry and overseas personnel and routinely has up to 4,000 staff, contractors, students and visitors on site at any given time, the court was told. Bashir drove Shamie's car on a ten-hour round trip from Manchester on August 14, 2025 despite being uninsured. The pair spent 13 minutes in the area of the Defence Academy in Shrivenham before returning. At around that time Al-Shamie made an entry in his iPhone notes entitled 'Espionage' which the court heard was 'plainly' a description of the reception area of the base. Both Bashir and Al-Shamie deliberately disposed of their mobile phones after carrying out the hostile reconnaissance, Mr Polnay told the court. Ultimately no attack was launched. But following Al-Shamie's killing by armed police outside Heaton Park Synagogue, the seized handsets were examined by counter-terrorism police, with a warrant obtained for his online iCloud storage. This uncovered WhatsApp and voice note exchanges between Bashir and Al-Shamie, including a chat group called 'Aspiring to the Ranks of the Elite' of which they were both members. Bashir sent over 2,000 messages to the group and prosecutor Jonathan Polnay KC said he was a 'long-standing, committed jihadist'. His messages with Al-Shamie 'demonstrated they were both close associates and both shared in an extremist worldview,' he added. In one exchange, on November 18 2024, Al-Shamie told Bashir how he had been working out at home and invited him to play football with him, adding: 'May Allah grant you strength and make u even more war ready.' Bashir told him: 'Inshallah akhi [god willing brother], I'm gonna get on it. Then I'm gonna call out the biggest Jews to scrap.' On December 2, Al-Shamie sent a voicemail to Bashir saying he wanted to go and fight in Syria, where he was born. 'I've had enough of this world,' he added. 'I've had enough of this life. I've had enough of all of it akhi [brother]. 'I don't want to live in this miserable city, in this dunya [worldly life], for much longer uksumbillah [I swear by Allah].' CCTV footage from the Al-Sunnah Mosque in Manchester - combined with data from Al-Shamie's handset - demonstrated that both men were planning a terrorist attack on the Defence Academy, Mr Polnay said. On the afternoon of August 9, 2025, both men arrived at the mosque in Al-Shamie's Kia. They sat in the car for 40 minutes while Al-Shamie carried out an internet search for 'IDF soldiers UK'. It led them to an article about Israeli army officers studying at the Royal College of Defence Studies in central London. The pair re-entered the mosque at 7.10pm and sat down at the back - believing 'erroneously' that they wouldn't be on camera, Mr Polnay said. Instead, CCTV played to the court showed them reading the article at the back of a deserted prayer hall, checking no one else was around. Al-Shamie then said: 'Allahuakhbar, allahuakbar' [god is great] and added: 'There is no doubt that there will be Israeli IDF guys there.' Bashir added: 'You got to look into it bro, look into it, this is the place, this is the place.' Al-Shamie said they could 'just storm the place' and told Bashir: 'You're a better driver than me, sometimes, I can't view a map, I get stressed, I miss the exit.' Bashir said there was 'no doubt, no grey area' and Al-Shamie added: 'I wish we had a weapon. We need to get one, crossbow.' He added: 'Anyone working there, gone. Women and men.' Bashir meanwhile stood up and gestured as though he was holding an assault rifle, saying he was 'really excited'. Al-Shamie told him that before they went on the 'mission' they would need to 'say bye to loved ones' and pay off any debts. As they exit the mosque, Al-Shamie says: 'It’s exciting.' Bashir replies: 'This is like, this time next year, we will be in green birds.' Mr Polnay said a terrorism expert had noted that in Islamic literature, the 'green birds of paradise are intimately linked to notions of martyrdom'. Ultimately no attack on the Defence Academy or other military establishment took place. The Crown said there was no evidence to suggest Bashir was involved in the planning of the attack at Heaton Park. Bashir, of Cheetham Hill, Manchester, pleaded guilty in June to preparing a terrorist attack and disseminating terrorist material encouraging martyrdom over WhatsApp. He was today jailed for life with a minimum term of 17 years.