UK Teenager Sentenced To Life Imprisonment For Planning Terror Attack - Court

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 02nd June, 2023) London's Old Bailey criminal court on Friday sentenced 19-year-old Matthew King to life imprisonment with a minimum of six years before right to parole on charges of planning a terrorist attack on the police and military.

"The sentence of this court is one of custody for life with a minimum of six years," judge Mark Lucraft said in the verdict broadcast on television and the internet.

The teenager reportedly started to take interest in islam, attend mosques and watch Muslim videos on YouTube in 2020.

King's mother, concerned about his behavior, reported her son to the police's Prevent counterterrorism program.

According to a written plea document from the defense, cited by the Sky broadcaster, King wanted to go to Syria and join the Islamic State terrorist group (IS, banned in Russia).

King also reportedly shot a video and said that if his plan to go to Syria was disrupted, he would carry out an attack in the United Kingdom.