Manchester synagogue attacker's associate jailed for life over separate military base plot as police admit missed opportunity

The sentencing

Mohammad Bashir, 31, was sentenced to life imprisonment at Manchester Crown Court on Thursday, with a minimum term of 17 years before parole consideration. He had pleaded guilty to preparing an act of terrorism. Justice Bobbie Cheema-Grubb described him as a "committed jihadist" who had enthusiastically planned a terrorist attack with Jihad Al-Shamie. The Crown Prosecution Service said Bashir was a "determined jihadist and dangerous individual" whose actions demonstrated a "deliberate and sustained commitment to violent extremism."

I am sure that you and he anticipated that you would both be martyred and you intended to kill others.

The synagogue attack

On 2 October 2025, Yom Kippur, Al-Shamie drove his car into pedestrians outside Heaton Park Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall, Manchester, then attacked worshippers with a knife. Melvin Cravitz, 66, died from stab wounds. Adrian Daulby was accidentally shot dead by police as congregants barricaded a door to prevent Al-Shamie from entering. Three other men were hospitalised with serious injuries. Al-Shamie, 35, a British citizen of Syrian descent, was shot dead by police at the scene after calling to pledge allegiance to Islamic State and claiming he had "killed two Jews."

The missed opportunity

Greater Manchester Police had seized Al-Shamie's mobile devices during two earlier arrests, in February and September 2025, but the data was never examined before the attack. Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson said the contents contained "substantial" evidence of an extremist mindset. An internal review revealed the failure. Watson said he was "deeply sorry" and that the force's inaction constituted "a missed opportunity." The Independent Office for Police Conduct is now reviewing GMP's past investigations into Al-Shamie.

It is clear that our not having reviewed the data available to us prior to the attack constitutes a missed opportunity.

The separate plot

Two months before the synagogue attack, in August 2025, Bashir drove Al-Shamie on a 10-hour round trip from Manchester to the UK Defence Academy in Shrivenham, Oxfordshire, to conduct hostile reconnaissance. They discussed how to enter the base, what weapons to use, and using a fake suicide vest. CCTV footage shown in court captured the pair discussing "going green bird," a reference to martyrdom in Islamic literature. Bashir left the UK two days after the synagogue attack and was arrested at Manchester airport in November 2025 upon returning from a family wedding in Pakistan. Prosecutors found no evidence he played a role in the synagogue attack itself.

Police apology

Watson's apology came as Bashir was sentenced. He expressed disappointment at adding to the distress of those affected and said it was for the IOPC and inquests to determine the impact of not reviewing the devices. Al-Shamie had been on bail for an alleged rape at the time of the attack, and his earlier arrests included an alleged breach of a non-molestation order. The force acknowledged that examining the phones would have "inspired further investigative action."