Mohammed Bashir sentenced for assisting terrorist plot
Mohammed Bashir was sentenced for assisting a terrorist plot that targeted a Ministry of Defence site and a synagogue.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Mohammed Bashir sentenced to life for plotting terror attack on UK military base
A man who helped plan a terrorist attack on a British military base has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 17 years. Mohammed Bashir, 31, was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court for preparing an act of terrorism alongside his friend Jihad Alshami, who later carried out a deadly knife attack on a synagogue.
Bashir and Alshami, both from Manchester, spent months planning an attack on the Defence Academy in Shrivenham, Oxfordshire. They believed Israeli soldiers were being trained there. In August 2025, the pair drove five hours to the site and spent 15 minutes conducting hostile reconnaissance, including entering the reception area. Alshami made notes on his phone under the title "Espionage".
The plot was foiled only because Alshami changed his target. On 2 October 2025, during Yom Kippur, he drove his black Kia Picanto to the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Manchester and began stabbing worshippers. Two men, Melvin Kravitz and Adrian Dolby, were killed. Alshami was shot dead by police at the scene.
Bashir initially denied any involvement, claiming he had driven Alshami to view a house. But CCTV footage from a mosque on 9 August 2025 showed the two men discussing the attack, with Alshami saying "Once we go we're not coming back" and Bashir adding a reference to paradise and martyrdom. After the footage emerged, Bashir changed his plea to guilty on 5 June 2026.
Sentencing him, the judge said the pair were "equally engaged in and enthusiastic about your plans" and that Bashir had given "no grounds to believe that your attitude has really changed at all". The judge noted that the plan was viable and intended to have "nationwide and international impact". Bashir will serve at least 17 years before being considered for release.
Police apology over missed opportunities
The case also revealed a major failure by Greater Manchester Police. Alshami had been arrested twice in the months before the synagogue attack, once for breaching a non-molestation order and once on suspicion of rape. On both occasions, police seized his mobile phones but never analysed their contents. Those phones contained evidence of his extremist mindset and his plans with Bashir.
Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson issued an apology, saying the failure to review the data "constitutes a missed opportunity" and that he was "deeply sorry" for adding to the distress of those affected. The police complaints watchdog is now investigating.
Jewish community leaders in Manchester said they still had faith in the chief constable but would watch the investigation closely. The case has raised painful questions about whether the synagogue attack could have been prevented if the phones had been checked.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC One | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Stephen Watson apologised for failing to search Alshami's mobile phones before the attack. | ||||
| Mohammed Bashir was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 17 years for his role in a terror plot. | ||||
| The two men planned to target the UK Defence Academy because they believed it was training Israeli Defence Forces soldiers. | · | |||
| Alshami attacked the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue on 2 October 2025 during Yom Kippur, causing the death of two people and himself. | · | · | ||
| Alshami's phones were seized during arrests for unrelated offences including rape, but were not examined before the attack. | · | · | ||
| Bashir drove Alshami to a Ministry of Defence site at Shrivenham on 14 August 2025 for hostile reconnaissance. | · | · | ||
| The phones contained evidence of Alshami's extremist views and his plans with Bashir. | · | · | ||
| Bashir pleaded guilty on 5 June 2026 after the prosecution served CCTV footage with audio from 9 August 2025. | · | · | · | |
| Jihad Alshami was on bail for an alleged rape when he carried out the synagogue attack. | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Sky News provided the most detailed coverage of the judge's sentencing remarks, including the full legal reasoning and the disputed factual issues. It also gave significant airtime to the police apology and an interview with a Jewish community leader. The tone was factual and comprehensive, balancing the court proceedings with the wider implications.
- “You are Manchester born and bred. You have not revealed what caused you to turn on the society that you had grown up in gone to school and collaging Working and where your family was able to practice your religion in freedom and peace.”
- “Your interactions caught on video in the mosque on the 9th of August show two equally engaged and Enthusiastic men planning an atrocity against a British military facility for religious and political reasons.”
- “It is clear that are not having reviewed the data available to us prior to the attack constitutes a missed opportunity I am disappointed at the prospect of adding to the distress of all of those affected by the terrible events last October For this I am deeply sorry”
BBC ONE West focused heavily on the police apology and the missed opportunity to stop the synagogue attack. The report included an interview with correspondent Danny Savage who explained the timeline and the community's reaction. The tone was investigative, highlighting the failure of police to analyse seized phones and the questions that now arise.
- “Greater Manchester police say they are deeply sorry over missing possible opportunities to stop the attack on a synagogue in Manchester last year”
- “the significance of the data contents of these devices that were seized was Substantial in respect of evidencing an extremist mindset the significance of the information stored on Alshami's devices was not Realized as they had not been examined before the attack took place”
- “So questions are now could it have been avoided if those phones have been looked at in more detail”
ITV1's coverage centred on the police apology and the admission that the attack might have been prevented. The report included an interview with Sam Holder who stressed the potential severity of the oversight. The tone was sombre and critical, focusing on the impact on the victims' families and the Jewish community.
- “the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police issued an unexpected apology after an incredible admission”
- “if they had reviewed the phones, it would have led to further investigation”
- “This was Jewish people killed purely for being Jewish at their place of worship”
5 News provided a concise summary of the sentencing and the police apology, with a focus on the planning details and the judge's comments. The report included CCTV footage descriptions and the judge's statement that Bashir remains a danger. The tone was straightforward and factual, with a clear narrative of the plot and its aftermath.
- “Once we go we're not coming back al-shaami says this time next year. We will be green birds Bashir adds a Reference to paradise and martyrdom”
- “There was a viable plan you and he Intended to commit an act of terrorism against a military target Using weapons such as crossbows in which you expected to lose your lives”
- “You have given no grounds to believe that your attitude has really changed at all”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.