A gap-year student who vowed to battle British soldiers with a Koran in one hand and a Kalashnikov in the other has been jailed.
Mohamed Abushamma, 21, was intercepted by anti-terror police in Turkey as he attempted to travel to Afghanistan to join pro-Taliban fighters.
The youth hoped to enter Afghanistan via its northern border with Tajikistan, after trekking over the mountainous border between the two countries.
Once there, he hoped to join mujihadeen fighters engaged in bloody fighting with coalition troops.
At Croydon Crown Court yesterday, Judge Mr Justice Bean sentenced Abushamma to three-and-a-half years' imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to preparing for acts of terrorism.
His friend Qas
im Abukar, 21, who travelled with him to Turkey, was cleared of the same offence by a jury earlier this month, despite going on the run in the middle of his trial.
