Islamic State fanatic Matthew King, 19, has appeared at the Old Bailey to be sentenced for plotting a terror attack on British police officers or soldiers.

King, from Wickford in Essex, has previously pleaded guilty to preparation of terrorist acts between December 22 2021 and May 17 2022.

In mitigation, his barrister Hossein Zahir KC said King was ‘immature’ and the prospect he would have carried out a terror attack in the UK or travelled to Syria to join the so-called Islamic State was ‘remote’.

While in custody, King had made a comment about ‘beheading an imam’ but that was said out of frustration at his cell door being closed rather than as a genuine threat, Mr Zahir said.

The barrister argued that despite such incidents of ‘offensive and abusive’ behaviour, King was ‘slowly and steadily’ disengaging from the excesses of extremism.

And in a prison phone call, King told his mother: ‘I’m not extreme anymore.’

The court heard King’s mother contacted Prevent after becoming concerned over materials he was watching.

He also expressed a desire to travel to Syria to ‘help people’.

During sentencing, Judge Lucraft said it was clear King developed an extreme Islamist mindset with anti-Western views.

The Judge confirmed it was clear King intended to commit terror attacks both in the UK and overseas.

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