An Uber driver cleared of launching a sword attack on police outside Buckingham Palace went on to plan another attack on tourists in central London, a jury has heard.

Mohiussunnath Chowdhury, 28, from Luton was “motivated by dreams of martyrdom for the cause of Islam, and inspired by preachers of hate”, Woolwich Crown Court was told.

Duncan Atkinson QC, prosecuting, said Chowdhury was “keen to take part in an attack on a high profile and very public target in the UK”.

Mr Atkinson said: “The targets mentioned included Madame Tussauds, the Gay Pride parade and an attack on tourists on a London open-top tour bus.

“The object was to unleash death and suffering on non-Muslim members of the public who happened to be present, using a firearm, sword and even a van as part of an attack.”

The court heard that, in August 2017, the defendant had driven a car through police bollards outside Buckingham Palace and came to a halt in front of a police van.

Chowdhury was then involved in a violent altercation with two police officers as they struggled for control of a samurai sword the accused had inside his car.

The prosecutor said that the defendant had repeatedly shouted “Allahu akbar” during the struggle.

A jury at his Old Bailey trial in 2019 believed Chowdhury’s claims that he had not intended to commit an act of terror and that he had instead wanted to commit “suicide by cop”. They found him not guilty and he was released.

The Crown claims that Chowdhury told undercover officers that he had indeed been trying to carry out a terrorist attack in 2017 and that he had “deceived” the earlier jury that acquitted him of those charges.

Chowdhury, who is accused of preparing acts of terror, is on trial alongside his sister Sneha Chowdhury, 25, who is accused of failing to disclose information relating to her brother’s alleged attack plans.

His sister had “better reason that anyone to understand what her brother was thinking and wanting to achieve”, Mr Atkinson said.

“Whilst she may have hoped that it was all over when he was released from prison – and that his acquittal meant he had not meant those things, his actions and his conversations with her after he was released in late December 2018 showed quite the opposite.”

The pair were arrested after police stopped their vehicle in Luton on 3 July last year, as part of an investigation by Scotland Yard’s counter-terrorism command.

It is alleged that between 12 January and 3 July 2019, Mohiussunnath booked a firearms training course, requested and selected a firearm and researched potential attack targets and asked another person to do the same.

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