A 19-year-old who researched the dummy explosive belt worn by the Manchester synagogue attacker has been jailed for nine-and-a-half years after recording a video of himself wearing a similar device, police said.
Mohammed Khalil Nadir distributed footage showing himself “triggering” the mock suicide vest following his research into the device worn by Jihad Al-Shamie during the assault at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue, Counter Terrorism Policing North East (CTPNE) said.
Melvin Cravitz, 66, and Adrian Daulby, 53, were killed when Al-Shamie, 35, rammed a vehicle into the synagogue gates on 2 October 2025 and carried out a knife attack while wearing the fake explosive belt.
Nadir, of Clough Close, Middlesbrough, was found guilty of possessing articles for a terrorist purpose and disseminating terrorist publications following a trial in June, and was jailed at Leeds Crown Court on Tuesday with a three-year extended licence period.
CTPNE stated that Nadir researched the Manchester assault before placing an order for a matching vest hours later.
On the day the vest arrived, Nadir placed 500 steel ball bearings into his online shopping basket.
Officers reported that he then filmed himself wearing the vest—modified with a fake wire and trigger—and edited explosion sound effects over the recording prior to sharing it on Telegram.
Following Nadir’s arrest in October 2025, police discovered the weighted vest inside his wardrobe, alongside handwritten documents promoting martyrdom operations and vast quantities of terrorist material on his devices.
CTPNE said this material included propaganda videos produced by Daesh, as well as literature advocating the murder of “disbelievers”.
A spokesman said: “Nadir was rigidly committed to his views and had an unhealthy interest in weapons.
“He continually sought out like-minded audiences online, rejecting anyone who challenged his twisted, violent rhetoric.
“Online chats and voice notes revealed his increasingly extreme mindset and a desire to use violence to create fear.”
Head of CTPNE Detective Chief Superintendent James Dunkerley said: “The evidence uncovered during this investigation clearly demonstrates Nadir’s deep-seated beliefs, which grew significantly over a two-year period.
“His possession of the weighted vest, and pending purchase of ball bearings, makes them all the more concerning.
“Nadir wasn’t simply in possession of high volumes of material which encouraged acts of terrorism. He deliberately shared terrorism guides and propaganda online and regularly used chat rooms to promote violence and justify martyrdom to others.
“There is no telling what harm this information could do in the hands of the wrong person.”