A homegrown terrorist who was just 10 minutes away from getting a gun to launch an attack at London’s Hyde Park has been jailed for life in his absence.
Edward Little, 22, had targeted a Christian preacher who regularly appeared at Speaker’s Corner but could have killed anyone who got in his way, police said.
The defendant, who converted to Islam in prison, settled on the plan after rejecting a mass gun attack on the late Queen’s funeral in Westminster.
He was arrested on his way to buy a gun in south London and went on to plead guilty to preparing acts of terrorism.
Last month, three members of a crime gang were jailed for conspiring to provide Little with the gun, although they did not know what it was for.
On Friday, Little refused to come to Court One of the Old Bailey for his sentencing which continued without him. In mitigation, Tom Godfrey said the defendant had been under surveillance by security forces or police.
He said: “While I accept Mr Little was unaware that his activities were being monitored, the fact that he was being monitored demonstrates the unsophisticated nature of his planning.”
In a televised hearing, Mrs Justice McGowan jailed Little for life with a minimum term of 16 years. She said an attack at Speaker’s Corner would have risked the lives of many people had Little not been stopped.
She said: “That part of the park is famous for its tradition of free speech. Edward Little believed an attack there would send a strong message. Hyde Park is a highly popular location and a tourist attraction. Any attack there would risk the lives of many people of all faiths and from all over the world and you undoubtedly struck terror.”
She added: “You wanted to emulate what the murderers of Lee Rigby had done. You regretted that your preparations were too late to carry out an attack on the state funeral.”
The judge found Little’s attack plan was “viable” and he posed a future danger to members of the public.
Speaking afterwards, Detective Chief Superintendent Olly Wright told the PA news agency: “This is a very, very dangerous man who’s been stopped from carrying out a terrorist attack. I’m absolutely convinced of that – and lives have been saved as a result. Obviously, he had a target at Speakers’ Corner but anyone who got in his way, like a police officer or members of the public, could have been at risk.”
Mr Wright, who is head of Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE), added: “The fact that Little decided he needed to plead guilty is testament to the quality of the investigation and the evidence that we were able to gather. This is what the network is here to do. We are here to stop terrorists in their tracks.”
Nick Price, head of the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said the sentence reflected the “seriousness” of Little’s crime.
He said: “There can be little doubt as to what Edward Little’s intentions were on that day. He had conducted research on the location and his target and made arrangements to buy a gun. It was clear he intended to commit murder.
“Had it not been for his arrest, he would have been able to secure that firearm and carry out the attack, which would have likely caused multiple deaths.”
Previously, the court heard how UK-born Little converted to Islam at Cookham Wood Young Offender Institution in Kent and at HMP Deerbolt in County Durham, after he turned 18.
Last summer, he downloaded extremist propaganda including copies of the al-Qaida publication Inspire.
The defendant, of Pelham Street, Brighton, told of his desire to get hold of a Mac-10 submachine gun and AK-47 assault rifle in encrypted chats on the Threema messaging platform.
At one point, he wrote: “I don’t think there has been an attack in the UK with guns so a semi-automatic rifle would send a even stronger message.”
Prosecutor Duncan Penny KC had said Little planned to kill the Christian preacher Hatun Tash at Speaker’s Corner in Hyde Park, anyone with her, as well as an police officers or soldiers in the area.
In his chats on Threema, Little referred to the well-known preacher who regularly debates Islam as an “evil witch” and said he could shoot her “point blank” and “everyone with her”.
Little said he would wear a camera so he could live-stream the attack.
Last September 17, Little claimed that he “100%” had a “brother in prison” who would be joining in the “operation”.
He said he would travel to London for reconnaissance and see if it was best to “have us hit separate targets”.
On September 18 last year, Little identified the Queen’s funeral – due to be held at Westminster Abbey the following day – as a possible alternative target.
It was suggested that “tyrants of the earth” would be there, to which Little responded: “I was just thinking that but unfortunately it’s too late.”
Last September 23, Little set off with £5,000 in cash to buy a gun.
He agreed to pay a taxi driver £300 to take him from Brighton to Lewisham, south London, saying money was no problem.
The plan was scuppered when armed police moved in to arrest him in south London. Little declined to answer questions in police interviews but his mood changed when he was shown a YouTube view of the preacher.
He launched himself from his chair across the table at an officer, swinging repeatedly with his fists before being restrained. He went on to admit assaulting the officer at Newbury Police Station last September 28 and was sentenced to eight months in prison.
Little had also pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent to a fellow inmate at Belmarsh prison on April 3. He attacked the victim with boiling water mixed with sugar and two razor blades for “disrespecting” his religion. Mrs Justice McGowan jailed Little for four years for that offence to run concurrently with his life sentence.
Previously, Little had been convicted of 14 offences in seven separate cases, including for robbery, having a knife and drug dealing, dating back to 2017.
Following a separate case at Inner London Crown Court, Tyler King, 21, Caleb Wenyeve, 21, and Reis Forde, 27, were jailed after admitting being party to a plot to sell Little a gun, although it was accepted they did not know it was for a terror attack.
King was jailed for 10 years and nine months for conspiracy to transfer a prohibited firearm. Wenyeve was jailed for 12 years and Forde was jailed for 13 years and six months for the same offence.
