Radicalised duo face jail sentences over terror tweets

Two radicalised young men are facing jail for posting a series of terror tweets.

Mohammed Mayow, 23, and Mohanned Jasim, 22, both from Hayes, Middlesex, admitted terrorism offences.

The pair will be sentenced by Judge Rebecca Poulet QC at the Old Bailey later.

At a hearing last month, Jasim had admitted two counts of encouragement of terrorism through tweets he sent on October 8 2015.

His co-defendant Mayow pleaded guilty to six charges of dissemination of a terrorist publication.

In 2014, he re-tweeted messages including one stating: "I can't wait for the day we fight AmeriC***S".

The following year, he tweeted links to IS-related material, such as New Islamic State Video - A Visit To Mosul.

Imran Khan, for Mayow, had argued his client should be sentenced on the basis he was "reckless" rather than intentional as sending messages on Twitter was "so instantaneous that one does not think about it".

He said: "These were instinctive reactions to tell the world what was happening - not encouraging."

Judge Poulet said her decision on the matter "will depend on how radicalised I find him to be based on all the material".

Mayow came to Britain as a refugee at the age of 14 having been forced to leave first Iraq and then Syria.

The defendant, who had never been in trouble with police before, developed "an interest in what is happening in the Middle East and foolishly involved himself with individuals connected with this type of offending", the lawyer said.

Mayow had pleaded not guilty to one charge of collection terrorist information and one of encouragement of terrorism which were ordered to lie on file.