Man Facing Jail For Plot To Blow Up Britain's Largest Mosque

8 April 2019, 17:02 | Updated: 9 April 2019, 08:32

Kingston Crown Court
Kingston Crown Court. Picture: PA

A man is facing jail after admitting planning a bomb attack on Britain’s largest mosque.

Steven Bishop, admitted buying fireworks and possessing instructions on how to make an explosive. It’s believed that he was intending to target Morden Mosque.

Bishop’s home in Thornton Heath was raided by police after he told a recovery worker that he was planning on carrying out a suicide attack on the South London mosque.

Prosecutor Simon Drew said: “He told her he was going to make a bomb and blow up a mosque in a suicide mission. “He went on to tell her he bought Semtex and a detonator on the dark web.”

He denied one charge of possession of an explosive substance with intent to endanger life or cause damage to property, but changed to a guilty plea on the first day of his trial at Kingston Crown Court.

When Bishop was arrested police found handwritten instructions on how to create explosives during a search of his address.

Bishop had already pleaded guilty to possession of information likely to be useful to a person preparing an act of terrorism, relating to the instructions.

It is believed the plot was an attempt at avenging the death of 8 year old Saffie Roussos, who was killed in the Manchester arena bombings.

The court heard Bishop has a history of mental health problems and a number of psychiatric reports had been prepared ahead of his trial.

Bishop has been remanded in custody, ahead of sentencing on Wednesday,