Manchester synagogue attacker ‘in Oxfordshire weeks before attack’

Mohammad Bashir, 31, pleaded not guilty on Friday to preparation of terrorist acts and three counts of disseminating terrorist publications on WhatsApp on dates in November and December 2024.

The first charges alleges he drove Jihad Al-Shamie to the UK Defence Academy in Shrivenham, near Faringdon, last August 14 to carry out hostile reconnaissance of the location, weeks before the synagogue attack.

Court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook of Mohammad Bashir appearing at the Old Bailey in London, where he is charged with terrorism offences for allegedly assisting Manchester synagogue attacker Jihad Al-Shamie. (Image: Elizabeth Cook/PA Wire)

He did so “with the intention of assisting Jihad Al-Shamie to commit acts of terrorism”, the charge states.

The assistance allegedly provided by Bashir was not in relation to the attack on the Heaton Park Synagogue in Crumpsall last October 2.

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Terrorist Jihad Al-Shamie attempted to storm a synagogue in Manchester on the holy day of Yom Kippur in October last year, driving his car at those gathering before attacking others with a knife.

Worshipper Melvin Cravitz, 66, was stabbed to death. Adrian Daulby, 53, who had been holding the main doors of the synagogue shut as Al-Shamie tried to force his way inside, died from a single gunshot wound to the chest fired by a police officer.

Al-Shamie was shot dead by armed police.

Bashir was arrested at Manchester Airport on November 27.

He faces a four-week trial from July 6 at Manchester Crown Court before Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb.

The defendant, of Shaftsbury Road in Manchester, was remanded into custody ahead of a pre-trial review at the Old Bailey on June 5.

Detective chief superintendent Lewis Hughes told an inquest last year that armed officers “discharged several rounds” at Al-Shamie as “he ran towards them aggressively while carrying a knife and wearing what clearly presented as a suicide belt”.

He added: “Al-Shamie sustained multiple bullet wounds and collapsed to the ground.”

Defence Academy in Shrivenham, near Faringdon (Image: Defence Academy/MOD)

Mr Hughes, senior identification manager, said the first shot was fired at Al-Shamie at 9.38am, but he was not pronounced dead until seven hours later because of concerns about potential explosives.

A Home Office post-mortem examination carried out the following day recorded the cause of his death as multiple gunshot wounds, Mr Hughes said.

Giving brief details of the circumstances to the coroner’s court, he said: “Al-Shamie is recorded on CCTV as driving a vehicle into a security guard and the external gate and wall at the synagogue entrance, and then subsequently attacking worshippers and security staff with a knife.

“Armed police attended the incident and discharged several rounds at the suspected terrorist.

“As a result of this incident, three people have lost their lives, which includes two victims and the suspected terrorist.

“Three other victims were very seriously injured, which consisted of a security guard struck by the vehicle, a worshipper completing security duties, outside, who was stabbed, and another worshipper, inside, who also sustained a gunshot injury.

“Whilst all received very serious injuries requiring extensive medical treatment, all are recovering and it is not anticipated that there will be any further loss of life arising from this incident.”