A 19-year-old man has been jailed for nine-and-a-half years after he researched the imitation suicide vest worn in last year's Manchester synagogue attack, filmed himself 'triggering' a modified version, and shared the footage online.
Mohammed Khalil Nadir, of Clough Close, Middlesbrough, was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on Tuesday, September 1, after being found guilty of possessing articles for a terrorist purpose and disseminating terrorist publications, following a trial in June. He was also handed an extended licence period of three years, according to Counter Terrorism Policing North East (CTPNE).
The court heard that Nadir researched the imitation vest worn by Jihad Al-Shamie in the Heaton Park synagogue terror attack on Yom Kippur last year. That attack claimed the lives of Melvin Cravitz, 66, and Adrian Daulby, 53, when Al-Shamie, 35, drove into the gates of the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue on October 2, 2025, and began attacking with a knife while wearing the fake belt.
Hours after researching the attack, Nadir placed an order for a similar fake suicide belt. On the day the vest was delivered, he added 500 steel ball bearings to his online shopping basket, as reported by both Manchester Evening News and the Daily Mirror.
Nadir then recorded a video of himself wearing the vest, modified with a fake wire and trigger, and overlaid the sound of an explosion before sharing it on the messaging app Telegram. CTPNE said he 'continually sought out like-minded audiences online' and rejected anyone who challenged his 'twisted, violent rhetoric'.
Following Nadir's arrest in October 2025, police found the weighted vest in his wardrobe, handwritten texts promoting martyrdom operations, and a large quantity of terrorist material on his mobile devices, including Daesh propaganda videos and texts calling for the killing of 'disbelievers', CTPNE said.
Detective Chief Superintendent James Dunkerley said: "The evidence uncovered during this investigation clearly demonstrates Nadir's deep-seated beliefs, which grew significantly over a two-year period."
In addition to the extended licence, the Daily Mirror reported that Nadir will be subject to a serious crime prevention order for five years and a terrorism notification order for 30 years once freed. The same outlet reported that Nadir was arrested by Counter Terrorism Policing North East and Cleveland Police in October 2024, and that in July 2025 he was charged with possessing a Taser, pleaded guilty, and received a Youth Justice Referral Order for nine months in August 2025.
A CTPNE spokesman said: "Nadir was rigidly committed to his views and had an unhealthy interest in weapons. He continually sought out like-minded audiences online, rejecting anyone who challenged his twisted, violent rhetoric."