A 19-year-old man has been jailed for nine and a half years after being convicted of possessing articles for a terrorist purpose and disseminating terrorist publications, according to Counter Terrorism Policing North East.
Mohammed Khalil Nadir, of Clough Close, was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on 1 September following his conviction at trial in June. The court heard that Nadir had accumulated terrorist material and shared a video showing himself wearing an imitation suicide vest which he had modified with a fake wire and trigger. An explosion sound was added to the recording before it was shared on Telegram.
Investigators said Nadir had researched the mock explosive vest used during the Heaton Park Synagogue attack and ordered a similar vest several hours later. On the day it was delivered, he added 500 steel ball bearings to an online shopping basket.
Counter-terrorism officers arrested Nadir in October 2025. Searches subsequently found the weighted vest in his wardrobe alongside handwritten material promoting martyrdom operations. Police also recovered what they described as a large quantity of terrorist material from his mobile devices, including Daesh propaganda videos and texts calling for the killing of people described as “disbelievers”.
The investigation also examined Nadir’s activity in online chat rooms and voice messages. Police said he regularly sought out people who shared his views, promoted violence and circulated terrorist guides and propaganda.
Detective Chief Superintendent James Dunkerley, head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East, said the evidence showed that Nadir’s views had developed over a period of around two years.
He said: “Nadir wasn’t simply in possession of high volumes of material which encouraged acts of terrorism. He deliberately shared terrorism guides and propaganda online and regularly used chat rooms to promote violence and justify martyrdom to others.”
Dunkerley said the combination of the weighted vest, Nadir’s interest in obtaining ball bearings and his online activity had caused particular concern during the investigation.
He added: “There is no telling what harm this information could do in the hands of the wrong person.”
Alongside the nine-and-a-half-year prison sentence, Nadir will be subject to an extended licence period of three years following his release. He will also be subject to a Serious Crime Prevention Order for five years and terrorism notification requirements for 30 years.
