'Jihadi' who stabbed garda jailed for 6 and a half years

A 24-year-old man who described himself as "a Salafi Jihadi" stabbed a garda and set the Black Forge pub on fire last year in two terrorist attacks within four days has been jailed for six and a half years, with four years post release supervision.

Abdullah Khan whose address cannot be published because of a court order pleaded guilty to eight charges including two terrorist offences in connection with both attacks in July of last year.

He admitted he was a supporter of ISIS and jihadism and that he attacked gardaí and set the pub on fire as a message to the Government and to the pub's owner, Conor McGregor, not to insult the prophet Muhammad.

Khan said he was angry at McGregor as someone he characterised as helping the far right grow in Ireland and was angry at the State for permitting free speech and as he saw it, the prophet to be insulted.

He said he had been inspired by Al Zarqawi, the founding father of the Islamist terrorist organisation ISIS and told gardaí, he had always called himself a Jihadist.

Abdullah Khan first became interested in Jihadism when aged around 19 or 20 but became more extreme as he grew older and shared the same ideology as ISIS.

"I support them, I have always been a spiritual person," he told gardaí and admitted that he had followed the four core principals.

"They share the same ideal as me," he said.

Abdullah Khan first became interested in Jihadism when aged around 19 or 20 but became more extreme as he grew older and shared the same ideology as ISIS.

"I support them, I have always been a spiritual person," he told gardaí and admitted that he had followed the four core principals.

"They share the same ideal as me," he said.

He said he felt the prophet Muhammed had been insulted by people with a right wing mind-set and the State had allowed this to happen.

This he described as "outrageous" and said it "made me sad".

"As far as Mc Gregor goes," he told officers from the Special Detective Unit which investigates terrorism, "he's someone who helped the far right grow in this country. I held him responsible. He was playing a very dangerous game."

"When it comes to the prophet Muhammed, we don’t see it as a matter of freedom of speech," he said.

"We don’t mock other religions."

His perceived insults to the prophet as "provocative" which he said "hurt me a lot".

He said he was "very angry at the State" which he said had "a duty to denounce it".

It was he said "a red line, not to be crossed. The State shouldn't let that stuff, that was my motive."

He also told the detectives that he had made up his mind to attack a garda.

"Look I'm going to stab a guard," he said.

"I was angry, I was going to stab a guard. I was angry at the State. I wanted to make a protest, I felt the prophet was insulted, look that’s a red line I don’t want that happening."

Detective Inspector Gavin Ross from the Special Detective Unit told the court during the sentencing hearing that the reasoning and motivation in Khan’s mind comes from Salafi Jihadism.

"You become a target if you insult the prophet Mohammad," the detective said.

He also said that statements made to gardaí by Khan's associates are still the subject of ongoing investigation and lines of inquiry are still being pursued.

Khan also admitted that shouting "Allahu Akbar" as he attacked the garda was part of his terrorism.

"I totally agree" he said, "that is undeniable, Allahu Akbar, that doesn’t come out at random.

More to follow