Remembrance Day terror plot accused 'posed with handgun in pictures'

One of the men accused of plotting to carry out a Lee Rigby-style terror attack posed with a handgun in a series of pictures, jurors were told.

Haseeb Hamayoon, 28, can be seen brandishing the pistol at the camera as he sits in a kitchen, jurors were told.

He is accused of plotting a terror attack around Remembrance Day last year along with Yousaf Syed, 20, and 22 year-old Nadir Syed. All three deny the charges.

Today jurors at London's Woolwich Crown Court were shown photos of Hamayoon allegedly found on his phone posing with the pistol in four pictures taken in June last year.

Prosecutor Max Hill QC said: "They are images of Mr Hamayoon in somebody's kitchen holding what appears to be a handgun in four successive photos.

"What type of handgun it is, whether real or imitation, I'm not able to say.

"It's the pose of the image and the attitude that we invite your attention to."

The court was also shown gruesome pictures of beheadings and terrorists allegedly found on Nadir Syed's phone.

From July 2013 until his arrest on November 6 last year, he uploaded harrowing images of beheadings and suicide bombers, the court heard.

In July 2013 a photograph of a decapitated head on top of a barrel next to a man holding a gun was downloaded to the phone, jurors heard.

In October that year a picture of an Islamic symbol along with the phrase "Woolwich Attack, it's an eye for an eye" was downloaded to the phone, jurors were told.

He also had pictures of Michael Adebolajo, who along with Michael Adebowale ran over and stabbed to death Drummer Rigby as he walked along the street in Woolwich, south London.

And he had gruesome pictures of three young Islamic State fighters holding a decapitated head and a picture of a PCSO, the court heard.

The three men deny planning acts of terrorism between September 20 and November 7 last year.

Hamayoon joked about Jihadi John - the British man who has carried out a string of beheadings for IS - the court heard.

Hamayoon joked the trained killer, whose nickname refers to John Lennon from The Beatles, would drive a "yellow submarine".

He also allegedly said he would need to fetch some popcorn to watch Jihadi John's graphic beheading videos.

He made the jokes while writing on the encrypted messaging service called Telegram, the court heard.

During the exchange in August last year, one user, whose identity is not known, wrote that "They said he is a part of a group called the Beatles" adding in another message "And is called John".

Responding to Jihadi John's videoed beheadings, Hamayoon allegedly wrote: "Let me get the popcorn."

He allegedly added: "I guess they have a yellow submarine as their group car."

Hamayoon also talked admiringly about the Islamic State (IS) and had looked up articles about their recruitment videos, the court heard.

Responding to news US President Barack Obama had authorised air strikes in Iraq in August last year, Hamayoon branded Obama a "kaffir" on WhatsApp. He also declared that "there is no better place than the Islamic State" in a WhatsApp message, jurors were told.