Couple planned ‘jihad’ against Jews

Shasta Khan, 38, and Mohammed Sajid Khan, 33, bought substances and equipment from supermarkets to assemble an improvised explosive device.

But she denied being involved with her husband’s plans to attack a Jewish community.

Mohammed Khan, 33, who was originally from Bradford, pleaded guilty to the charges at an earlier hearing.

Police discovered a cache of terror-related material after being called to a domestic dispute at the couple’s home in Oldham, Greater Manchester last July after which one of Shasta Khan’s brothers claimed her husband was a “home-grown terrorist”.

Prosecutor Bobbie Cheema had told the court Shasta Khan then took the opportunity to “spill the beans” and cause “serious trouble” for her husband, but leaving out her own involvement.

Items seized included beheading videos, propaganda glorifying Osama bin Laden and bomb-making guides along with peroxide and bleach, used by Shasta Khan in her hairdressing work, which together with electrical equipment were being readied to make a bomb.

A satnav from her Peugeot 305 vehicle showed they had been on multiple trips to Jewish populated areas around Manchester, looking for targets to attack.

A jury at Manchester Crown Court found Shasta Khan guilty of engaging in conduct in preparation for acts of terrorism and two counts of possessing information useful for committing or preparing for an act of terrorism. She was cleared of a third count of the latter charge.

British-born Muslim Shasta Khan cried in the dock as the verdicts were delivered and then wailed as she was led to the cells.

Opening the case four weeks ago, Miss Cheema said behind their “apparent normality of daily life”, Mohammed Khan, an unemployed car valeter, and his wife planned to carry out “jihad at home.” They both became radicalised by material found on the internet such as an al-Qaida magazine called Inspire.

The pair prepared to carry out a terrorist attack on British soil, with the most likely target being an orthodox Jewish area of Prestwich.

They did not create a functioning bomb and did not have the final ability to carry out the attack but they looked at possible locations for an attack, Miss Cheema said.

Both are due to be sentenced this afternoon.