A man who conducted hostile reconnaissance at a military base alongside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue attacker has been jailed.
Mohammad Asim Bashir (18/09/1994) of Shaftesbury Road, Cheetham Hill was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court earlier today (Thursday 23 July 2026) to life imprisonment. He will serve a minimum of 17 years, which includes the time already spent remanded in custody, so the remaining time is 16 years and 135 days.
Mohammed Bashir will serve a minimum of 17 years imprisonment
Bashir will also be subject to a serious crime prevention order for five years and part 4 notification requirements under the Terrorism Act should he be released from prison.
Last month he pleaded guilty to one count of preparation for acts of terrorism (Section 5, Terrorism Act 2006).
Following the terrorist attack that took place at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in October 2025, Counter Terrorism Policing North West (CTPNW) launched a large-scale investigation, drawing resources from across the national CTP network to establish the full circumstances behind the attack.
Phones belonging to the attacker, Jihad Al Shamie, were reviewed by CTPNW and identified Bashir as a close associate who also held extremist views. During WhatsApp conversations between the pair, they discussed preparing for “war” and frequently made antisemitic remarks.
Further enquiries established that both men had made a ten-hour round trip to conduct hostile reconnaissance of the UK Defence Academy in Shrivenham on 14 August 2025. Bashir acted as driver for most of the journey and Al Shamie made notes regarding the security arrangements for the base on his phone, titled “espionage”.
Both men disposed of the phones they had used to conduct their research and make notes. However the investigation team successfully accessed cloud data for a number of mobile phones linked to Al Shamie, which revealed internet searches for weapons, potential target sites, and individuals with links to the Israeli military. This, coupled with CCTV footage and audio showing them discussing plans for an attack, provided damning evidence against Bashir.
During sentencing, he was described by the prosecution as a “long-standing, committed jihadist”.
Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts, who holds operational responsibility for Counter Terrorism Policing North West, said: “Mohammed Bashir is a dangerous individual with extremist views who held conversations about preparing for ‘war’.
“He was caught on camera discussing carrying out a terrorist attack with a man who would later go on to conduct an attack himself. Together they made a ten-hour round trip to conduct hostile reconnaissance at a military base and noted it’s security arrangements.
“The pair tried to cover their tracks by disposing of their mobile phones but, thanks to the meticulous work of investigators, evidence of damning internet searches that show research for attack planning were uncovered.
“Bashir is now facing the consequences of his actions, and I hope his sentence will act as a deterrent to anybody considering taking part in extremist activity.
“Although there is no evidence to suggest that Bashir knew in advance about plans to conduct a terrorist attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue, I know today’s sentencing will prompt public discussion on that incident.
“My thoughts today are with all those affected by the attack, particularly the loved ones of those whose lives were taken and those who were seriously injured. They have been at the forefront of our minds throughout the investigation and will continue to be so.”