Internet troll made east London primary school bomb hoax as part of smear campaign against brother-in-law, court told

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An alleged internet troll portrayed his brother-in-law as an Islamic State supporter, paedophile and a would-be bomber of an east London primary school, a court heard.

Shohidul Islam, 26, allegedly created fake profiles on social media sites aimed at destroying the reputation of Mohammed Razaul Karim, the brother of his estranged wife in Bangladesh.

The defendant is charged with two counts of encouragement of terrorism, making a bomb hoax at a primary school, making indecent photos of children and possessing the Anarchist Cookbook.

Opening his Old Bailey trial, prosecutor Mark Weekes told jurors the charges arose from a "vicious digital and online campaign" against Mr Karim between late 2015 and early 2016.

Islam had married Mr Karim's sister Fahmida Parveen Shuba in 2010 but she stayed in Bangladesh and by 2016, their relationship had begun to break down.

Mr Weekes said: "It may well be that failure of the marriage was one of the driving forces behind the defendant's attacks on Mr Karim."

Islam's activities ranged from the "deeply nasty to the criminal" and included portraying his target as a supporter of Islamic State, he said.

He allegedly created false Twitter and Facebook profiles using Mr Karim's name, or part of his name, on which Islam posted material "glorifying" terrorism.

In January 2016, the defendant, posing as Mr Karim's uncle, allegedly emailed the Metropolitan Police website to falsely report his victim was planning to detonate a bomb at a primary school in Canning Town.

Islam went on to portray Mr Karim as a paedophile by creating a video and posted it on YouTube using a fake profile, the court heard.

The video, entitled "Must watch child abuser, stay away from him", included an image of Mr Karim, the court heard.

Mr Weekes said: "The video suggested that he had been convicted in his 'home country' of child abuse in 2001, it suggested he targets children online, has been arrested several times in the UK because he abused so many children and says he should be deported from the UK. It also says that he lives in east London.

"Needless to say, the allegation is entirely untrue."

Mr Karim was alerted to the video by his uncle and he reported it to Plaistow Police Station.

Later the same month, Islam allegedly created indecent images of young children and sent them to Mr Karim's family.

The court heard he also created a profile on pornographic website X Videos in the name of Mr Karim and his wife and posted material on it.

When Islam was arrested at a job centre in January 2016, a digital copy of the Anarchist Cookbook was found on his mobile phone and further evidence on his laptop, jurors were told.

The book included instructions on how to make a viable bomb, which Mr Weekes suggested Islam may have planned to use as part of his ongoing campaign.

Islam, who lived with relatives in Bradford, has denied the charges against him.

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