A Samurai sword-wielding Islamic State supporter wanted to be shot dead by police outside Buckingham Palace, a court heard today (FRI).
Mohiussunnath Chowdhury, 27, vowed the Queen would “burn in hellfire” before ramming a police van with his Uber cab and exchanging punches with officers as he tried to pull out the four-foot long sword, the Old Bailey was told.
The weapon had been sharpened just hours before the attack until it could slice through Coke cans “like butter”, the court heard.
Chowdhury felt responsible for Muslim deaths abroad after Britain had sold bombs and other weapons to Saudi Arabia which were then dropped on rebels in Yemen, jurors were told.
He told the court that he was inspired to travel to the Palace after seeing a TV news report that morning about the bombing of a wedding reception in Yemen.
Intiially the Uber driver had tried to go to Windsor Castle but went to a pub by the same name by mistake in a sat nav error, jurors were told.
He tried and failed to find armed police or soldiers and instead drove to Buckingham Palace where the court heard he drove his Toyota Prius at police outside repeatedly yelling “Allahu Akbar”.
Chowdhury was tackled by officers who eventually overpowered him with CS spray during the botched attack at around 8.30pm on 25 August last year, the court was told.
Giving evidence, Chowdhury said: “I had seen what the UK government was up to, selling the bombs and stuff.
“And watching the news and seeing more and more, I was feeling guilty like I had blood on my hands, I was feeling more guilty.
“I really felt that I was reponsible for the killings, Theresa May and this Government they represent all of us, they are selling arms to Saudi Arabia and killing innocents.
“I did not think there was anything I could do, I felt that I should die.”
Recalling the morning before the attack, Chowdhury said: “The first thing I do is look at the news and I saw more bombs, but it was dropped on a wedding function.
“This was not on anyone who was rebelling and it was at that moment that if they want to keep killing these people they can kill me as well.
Why should I live, these bombs are being dropped on wedding functions, the bombs are from us.
“I decided that the best way without hurting anyone was to show a weapon to either armed police or armed soldiers, I had made that decision by now.
“I assumed that they would shoot me to death, I was just going to show them a weapon I thought as soon as I showed them the sword they would not ask questions, they would probably say freeze and then shoot.”
Chowdhury bought his Japanese Samurai sword in 2013 and had it displayed in his bedroom in the years leading up to the attack because he thought it was “cool”, the court heard.
Hours before he left for Windsor Castle he traveled to Sainsbury’s to buy a sharpener for the knife.
Before he left he wrote a note to his sister which allegedly read: “By the time you read this Insha’Allah I will be with Allah.
“The Queen and her soldiers will all be in the hellfire they go to war with Muslims around the world and kill them without any mercy.”
Chowdhury added: “This sword I bought when I first started university in 2013.
“It was the Japenese animation stuff I thought it was be pretty cool to have as an ornament, I have it in my room on display.
“I wanted to let my sister know, I assumed I would be dead by the end of the day.
“I thought are they going to take the sword seriously? This was a hasty and emotional decision I made, I got a bit paranoid, will they shoot me, will they not shoot me?
“So as soon as they knew it was the real deal that it wasn’t a fake sword.
“When I was saying that they are going to be in hellfire it was because they kill Muslims, they are the enemies that Allah wants us to fight.
“This sword is very very sharp, it cuts through Coke cans like butter.
“What I am saying his that I am going to die, I am not saying I am going to kill anyone or fight and kill anyone, but I mean is that I am going to die, face them and show them my sword and get shot.
Chowdhury, of Luton, Beds, denies one count of preparing an act of terrorism.
The trial continues
