Mohammad Asim Bashir, a 31-year-old friend of the Manchester synagogue attacker, was labelled a "long-standing, committed jihadist" during his sentencing hearing at Manchester Crown Court. Bashir had previously pleaded guilty to one count of preparing an act of terrorism, stemming from his involvement in driving Jihad Al-Shamie to surveil a military base.
The court heard that Bashir transported Al-Shamie to the UK Defence Academy in Shrivenham, Oxfordshire, on 14 August 2025, to conduct a hostile reconnaissance mission. This trip occurred just weeks before Al-Shamie carried out a fatal attack at Heaton Park Synagogue on 2 October 2025, where two Jewish men, Melvin Cravitz and Adrian Daulby, were tragically killed. Al-Shamie, from Prestwich, drove his Kia Picanto into the synagogue gates and then assaulted people with a knife, before being shot dead by police at the scene while wearing a fake suicide belt.
While Bashir is not accused of direct involvement in the synagogue attack, prosecutor Jonathan Polnay KC stated that the reconnaissance mission was for an attack "of the sort that Jihad Al-Shamie in fact carried out." Mr Polnay elaborated that the planned attack on the UK Defence Academy was intended to involve weapons, cause multiple fatalities, and have significant national and international repercussions. The journey from Manchester to Shrivenham and back reportedly took ten hours.
Evidence presented in court included analysis of WhatsApp messages between Bashir and Al-Shamie, which prosecutors claim demonstrated their close association and a shared extremist worldview. These messages reportedly showed their mutual interest in, and regular discussions about, "violent jihad," with some exchanges even referencing "getting ready for 'war'." CCTV footage from the Sunnah Mosque in Manchester, combined with data from Al-Shamie's phone, was presented to show both men planning a terrorist attack on the Shrivenham defence station days before their trip.
Further CCTV images played to the court depicted Bashir and Al-Shamie viewing websites related to the UK Defence Academy and articles concerning UK links to the Israel-Gaza war on their mobile phones. The footage also captured their conversation. Bashir was observed making a gesture with a raised index finger, which the prosecution identified as being associated with jihadist groups. Bashir travelled to Pakistan after the synagogue attack but was apprehended at Manchester Airport upon his return.