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Jail for Birmingham couple who plotted terror attack

Madihah Taheer encouraged Ummar Mirza by telling him before they were married that “I want you to kill ppl for me. I have a list”.

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Husband and wife Ummariyat Mirza and Madihah Taheer have been jailed after they plotted a terror attack on the UK (West Midlands Police/PA)

A couple who used a life-like dummy and a combat knife to plot a UK terror attack have been jailed.

Madihah Taheer, 22, encouraged Ummar Mirza by telling him before they were married that “I want you to kill ppl for me. I have a list”.

In messages to each other, Mirza, 21, said he wanted to stab someone 27 times, to which Taheer replied that “sounds so satisfying”.

Mirza admitted one count of preparing terrorist acts between January and March this year.

Two counts of possessing information useful to a terrorist were left on file at Woolwich Crown Court.

Madihah Taheer poses with a gun (West Midlands Police)
Madihah Taheer poses with a gun (West Midlands Police)

Sentencing him to 16 years in jail with an extended licence period of five years, Judge Christopher Kinch QC said: “You had moved a long way down the road of preparation of a terrorist act of the lone wolf type.”

Taheer denied any involvement but was found guilty of the preparation of terrorist acts between February 12 and March 30 this year, through buying the knife.

She was jailed for 10 years with an extended period of one year.

Also sentenced was Zainub Mirza, Mirza’s sister, who shared Islamic State propaganda with the couple on social media.

The 24-year-old, of Eastfield Road, Birmingham, earlier pleaded guilty to five counts of disseminating terrorist publications, which she had sent to her brother between January 10 and 23 this year.

She was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment.

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