Mosque terror: Knifeman who vowed to ‘kill all’ jailed for 3 years

A habitual offender who threatened to "shoot up" a café and later stormed a mosque claiming he was there "to kill" has been jailed for three years.

Ally Gahindo, 22, of Greenbank, Farnworth, appeared at Bolton Crown Court on Monday, 5 January 2026, to be sentenced for a string of violent and religiously aggravated offences. The court heard that Gahindo’s campaign of terror was fuelled by a "wholly out of control" addiction to alcohol.

The Café Confrontation

The first incident occurred on 9 June 2024, outside the Hideout Café in Farnworth. An intoxicated Gahindo was playing loud music at the entrance and became aggressive when asked to move. After briefly leaving, he returned brandishing a "large knife" and adopted a "fighting stance."

Prosecutor James Preece told the court that Gahindo screamed at two men: “Come outside man... I’m going to fing cut you – I’m going to fing stab you.” He further threatened staff, stating he would "shoot the place up" before being persuaded to drop the weapon in a gutter by a passerby.

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Mosque Attack and Robberies

While on bail for the café incident, Gahindo targeted a mosque in Farnworth on 15 October 2024. After following a man inside to demand money, he claimed he was there to pray before shifting to chilling threats, shouting: “I’m going to kill you – I have come here to kill you.”

After being Ejected and locked out, he remained outside to block the entrance, shouting: “Allah is not real, Allah is not God.” When police arrived, they found a 4-inch kitchen knife in his hoodie pocket.

Gahindo was also sentenced for his role in two gang-led robberies from July 2023, one of which involved the theft of a designer Valentino bag from a 14-year-old boy in Bolton town centre.

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"High Risk of Reoffending"

Defence barrister Hugh McKee argued that Gahindo had been drinking daily since the age of 17 and "understands that alcohol has put him where he is." He requested a suspended sentence, noting that Gahindo had already spent seven months in custody and needed professional support rather than more jail time.

However, Judge Jon Close rejected the plea for leniency. While acknowledging the defendant's youth, the judge highlighted a previous conviction for assaulting an emergency worker—also committed while drunk.

“Until you can maintain your sobriety long-term, there remains a high risk of reoffending,” Judge Close told him, noting that Gahindo had failed to engage with addiction services while in prison.

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Gahindo was sentenced to a total of 36 months in prison.