Manchester Terrorism Plot: Friend of Heaton Park Synagogue Killer Jailed for Life Over Military Academy Site Attack Plan

Mohammad Bashir has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 17 years after admitting a terrorism offence over a plot to carry out an attack on a British military base alongside Jihad Al-Shamie, the man who later carried out the fatal Heaton Park Synagogue attack before being shot dead by police.

Manchester Crown Court heard the 31-year-old, of Cheetham Hill, pleaded guilty to one count of preparing an act of terrorism after helping Al-Shamie conduct hostile reconnaissance of the UK’s Defence Academy at Shrivenham, Oxfordshire, in August 2025.

Passing sentence, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb concluded Bashir had become a “firmly committed jihadist” by the time of the reconnaissance mission and rejected his claims that he had since renounced extremist beliefs.

The judge told him: “You and he were equally engaged in planning an attack on a British military target in which you and he expected to kill and be killed.”

Rejecting his account to probation officers that he regretted his actions and no longer held extremist views, she added: “I consider you remain dangerous. You have given no grounds that your attitude has really changed at all.”

The court heard Bashir drove Al-Shamie on a 10-hour return journey to the Defence Academy on 14 August 2025 so that security arrangements at the site could be assessed in preparation for a future terrorist attack.

Al-Shamie recorded observations about the base on his mobile phone under the heading “espionage”. The pair spent only 13 minutes at the location before returning to Manchester the same day.

Prosecutors said the reconnaissance formed part of preparations for an attack on the military establishment using weapons capable of causing multiple fatalities and having “national and international impact”.

Counter Terrorism Policing uncovered the plot after examining digital evidence recovered following Al-Shamie’s attack on Heaton Park Synagogue in October 2025.

Although both men disposed of their mobile phones after visiting Shrivenham, investigators recovered cloud-stored data revealing internet searches relating to weapons, potential target sites and individuals linked to the Israeli military.

Police also recovered CCTV footage recorded at Al Sunnah Mosque in Manchester on 9 August 2025, showing Bashir and Al-Shamie discussing their plans. Investigators said the pair wrongly believed they were outside the range of cameras and could not be overheard.

WhatsApp conversations recovered during the investigation showed the men shared extremist Islamist views, discussed preparing for “war” and frequently exchanged antisemitic messages, Greater Manchester Police said.

Just weeks after the reconnaissance trip, Al-Shamie carried out the attack at Heaton Park Synagogue, where Melvin Cravitz and Adrian Daulby were killed after he drove a Kia Picanto through the gates before launching a knife attack. He was wearing a fake suicide belt when armed officers shot him dead at the scene.

Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts said there was no evidence Bashir knew in advance about Al-Shamie’s plans to attack the synagogue.

Following the synagogue attack, Bashir travelled to Pakistan but was arrested on his return to the UK at Manchester Airport.

His legal team argued he had experienced a change of heart after the reconnaissance visit and had abandoned the planned military attack. The sentencing judge rejected that submission, finding there was no evidence his extremist ideology or dangerousness had diminished.

Assistant Chief Constable Potts described Bashir as “a dangerous individual” and said: “Bashir is now facing the consequences of his actions and I hope his sentence will act as a deterrent to anybody considering taking part in extremist activity.”