A man has changed his plea mid-trial to admit encouraging terrorism by calling for an attack on Prince George.
Husnain Rashid had maintained his innocence throughout proceedings at Woolwich Crown Court, but has now unexpectedly admitted a number of terror offences.
The 32-year-old, of Nelson, Lancashire, used a Telegram group on 13 October last year to call on supporters to target the four-year-old prince.
Prosecutors said Rashid was encouraging terrorism by posting a photograph of the prince at his school super-imposed with silhouettes of two masked “jihadist” fighters in an encrypted forum he set up.
Rashid also encouraged followers to poison ice cream and attack football stadiums, and was even planning his own online magazine offering tips for “lone-wolf attacks”.
The unemployed web designer was in touch with an ISIS operative in Syria called “Repunzel” and sent him information about how to make explosives and shoot down aircraft.
He also posted suggestions of which British football stadiums terrorists could strike, following the deadly attack outside Besiktas’s ground in Turkey, his trial heard.
Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated on the latest news and updates from around the Muslim world!
Other posts included a photograph of the Burmese ambassador to the UK with the address of the Burmese embassy saying: “You know what to do.”
He was arrested at his home in November.
Judge Andrew Lees told him that the trial had heard the “most disturbing allegations”, adding: “It is inevitable that you will receive a very lengthy prison sentence and there will be a consideration of a life prison sentence.”
