A man who conducted hostile reconnaissance at a military base alongside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue attacker has been jailed.
Mohammed 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.”
Updated 17:15 5 June 2026
A man with links to the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue attacker has pleaded guilty to preparation for acts of terrorism.
Mohammad Asim Bashir (18/09/1994) of Shaftesbury Road, Cheetham Hill appeared earlier today (Friday 5 June 2026) at the Central Criminal Court and pleaded guilty to one count of preparation for acts of terrorism (Section 5, Terrorism Act 2006).
The prosecution will consider the basis of the guilty plea. A two-day sentencing hearing has been set for 22/23 July 2026 at Manchester Crown Court.
Following the terrorist attack that took place at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in October 2025, Counter Terrorism Policing North West launched a large-scale investigation, drawing resources from across the national CTP network to establish the full circumstances behind the attack.
Enquiries conducted by detectives identified Bashir as an associate of Jihad Al-Shamie and established that the two of them had conducted hostile reconnaissance of a UK defence facility on 14 August 2025.
The pair were seen on CCTV prior to the trip discussing criteria for potential targets to attack. They were then seen on ANPR making the journey to the site, with Bashir acting as the driver for most of the journey.
Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts, who holds operational responsibility for Counter Terrorism Policing North West, said: “From the outset of our investigation into the tragic events at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue, we have been unwavering in our commitment to establishing the full circumstances behind what happened.
“Our comprehensive enquiries led to the offending of Mohammed Bashir coming to light. Although not directly linked to the synagogue attack, the fact he conducted hostile reconnaissance alongside a man who would later commit a terrorist attack show the seriousness of his actions.
“We welcome today’s guilty plea and look ahead to the sentencing which is due to take place in July.
“This case will understandably prompt public commentary about the terrorist attack that took place last October. My thoughts today are with all those affected, particularly the loved ones of those whose lives were taken and those who were seriously injured.”
Updated 14:31 4 Dec 2025
The man arrested in connection with the terrorist attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue has been charged with terrorism offences that are not directly linked to the attack.
Mohammad Asim Bashir (18/09/1994) of Shaftesbury Road, Cheetham Hill was arrested on 27 November at Manchester Airport. He has now been charged with the following:
- Preparation for acts of terrorism (Section 5, Terrorism Act 2006) x1.
- Dissemination of terrorist publications (Section 2, Terrorism Act 2006) x3.
He has been remanded to appear before Westminster Magistrates Court tomorrow, Friday 5 December 2025.
Bashir, who is a British national whose self-defined ethnicity is British Pakistani, was arrested on suspicion of commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism in relation to the attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue on Thursday 2 October. He has been released without charge in relation to this.
Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts, who holds operational responsibility for Counter Terrorism Policing North West, said: “Following charging authority being granted by the CPS, this morning we have charged Mohammad Asim Bashir with a number of terrorism offences, including preparation for acts of terrorism
“These charges aren’t directly linked to the terrorist attack which took place at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue but have come as a result of enquiries conducted by our investigation team.
“Bashir has been released without charge in relation to the terrorist attack. However, he has been remanded in custody to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court tomorrow to face the charges authorised today.
“Our investigation into the attack remains live and I would continue to appeal to anyone with information that could potentially be of assistance to please come forward.
“I would also like to once again thank members of the community for their continued patience and support as we conduct our enquiries.”
Frank Ferguson, Chief Crown Prosecutor of the Crown Prosecution Service Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: “Today, we have decided to prosecute Mohammad Bashir with terrorism offences – following a Counter Terrorism Policing North West investigation into his conduct linked to Jihad Al-Shamie.
“Our prosecutors have concluded that there is sufficient evidence to charge Mohammad Bashir with one offence of preparation of terrorist acts and three offences of sharing terrorist publications with Al-Shamie and others with the intent to encourage acts of terrorism.
“We have worked closely with Counter Terrorism Policing North West as they carried out their investigation.”