Terror Suspects "Planned to Shoot Police or Soldiers"

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Court told of plot involving Shepherd's Bush police station and barracks

Four terror suspects charged last week with a string of offences, including "hostile reconnaissance" of Shepherd's Bush Police Station and White City Territorial Army Barracks in South Africa Road, have appeared in court.

The four men - trainee doctor Tarik Hassane, 21 Dalgarno Way, W10; Suhaib Majeed, 20 of Church Street Estate, NW8; Nyall Hamlett, 24 of Great Western Road, W2; and Momen Motasim, 21 of Hallfield Estate, W2 - are jointly charged with the intention of committing acts of terrorism, or assisting others to commit such acts, between July 8 and October 7.

A fifth man, Nathan Cuffy, 25, from London, faces firearms offences.

Prosecuting, Mark Dawson, told the court the case revolved around an alleged plot "to shoot, to kill, police officers or soldiers on the streets of London."

He said 21 details within the terror charge related to different individuals, but did not give specific details about which parts of the charge related to which accused.

The Metropolitan Police said the men are accused of taking an oath of allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) militant group and arranging to buy a handgun equipped with a silencer and conducting "hostile reconnaissance" of a police station and Army barracks in Shepherd's Bush using Google Street View.

The terror charges also include allegations the four men set-up "methods of secret communications" and that they "entered into covert discussions".

They are accused of discussing the sourcing of a moped, along with where they could store the vehicle in Shepherd's Bush.

Police say the men are also accused of viewing and retaining images sent via Instagram of two Met Police officers and two Met police community support officers, and having "graphic images" of the beheading of American journalist Steven Sotloff.

The men were brought to the hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court on October 17 in a convoy of armoured vans and police cars which was followed overhead by a helicopter, and were flanked by plain-clothes officers, some wearing protective vests

All five were remanded in custody until October 27 when they will appear at the Old Bailey.

October 21, 2014