Muslim convert nicknamed 'The Eagle' jailed for Oxford Street terror plot to mow down pedestrians outside Disney Store

Jacob Jarvis6 March 2019
WEST END FINAL

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A Muslim covert nicknamed "The Eagle" has been jailed for a terror plot to mow down pedestrians outside the Disney Store on Oxford Street or Madame Tussauds.

Lewis Ludlow, who had called the location an "ideal" spot for his plot, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 15 years on Wednesday.

Ludlow, a Muslim convert and former Royal Mail worker, had hoped "nearly 100 people could be killed in the attack".

Last year, the 27-year-old pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to plotting an attack in the UK and funding IS abroad, having pledged allegiance to the group.

Ludlow had pledged allegiance to Islamic State
PA

Judge Nicholas Hilliard QC jailed Ludlow for life with a minimum term of 15 years for the attack plan, with seven years to run concurrently for funding.

Ludlow, from Rochester, Kent, researched potential targets around the capital.

He bought a phone under a false name and wrote down his attack plans.

Ludlow caught on surveillance images taking photos of Oxford Street
PA

These were later found ripped up in a bin.

He detailed a potential attack on Oxford Street using a van mounting the pavement and noted the lack of safety barriers.

Ludlow, who also called himself "The Ghost", wrote: "Wolf should either use a ram attack or use ... on the truck to maximise death ... it is a busy street it is ideal for an attack. It is expected nearly 100 could be killed in the attack."

The judge said Ludlow had been engaged in preparations for a "spectacular" multi-casualty attack.

A ripped up handwritten note detailing his plot was found in a bin 
PA

He said Ludlow had "the intention of causing death or terror".

He told the defendant: "Your commitment at the time we are concerned with to violent extremism ran very deep and for some time.

"There could be no other explanation for your preparing to kill innocent people in a vehicle attack for ideological reasons."

Ludlow captured on CCTV on visit to London
Counter Terrorism Policing South East

Ludlow first came to the attention of police in 2010 when he attended a demonstration led by radical preacher Anjem Choudary and his banned Al-Muhajiroun (ALM) group.

When he was arrested in 2015 IS material was found on Ludlow's electronic devices.

Ludlow had pledged allegiance to Islamic State 
PA

But at that point no further action was taken.

In January 2018, he bought a ticket to fly to the Philippines on February 3.

He was stopped at the airport and had his passport seized.

Having set up a PayPal account as well as a fake Facebook site called Antique Collections, he sent money to an IS supporter, Abu Yaqeen, in the Philippines.

Ludlow's phone was found down a storm drain 
PA

Ludlow then turned his attention to launching an attack in Britain with encouragement from Yaqeen, the court heard.

He visited an internet cafe in Vauxhall Bridge Road in central London where he searched online for shopping centres, Oxford Street and the Isis flag.

Ludlow told the court: "I said no at first, I did not want to because I felt this was a bit scary and then he said, 'You have to do it. You have to kill them, make them pay in blood, you must get revenge. They are not innocent. They deserve to die'.​"

On April 13 Ludlow's mobile phone was retrieved from a storm drain.

A downloaded image from the internet found on Lewis Ludlow's phone of the Borough Market 'suicide' vest 
PA

It was found to have videos of the defendant swearing allegiance to IS and evidence of "hostile reconnaissance".

As well as this an image of the Borough Market suicide vest was found on the device

When Ludlow was arrested by counter-terrorism police he refused to explain himself in interview.

Later, following his guilty plea, autistic Ludlow told how he rejected an MI5 advance in March 2017 but agreed to engage with the Prevent programme.

Judge Hilliard rejected the suggestion Ludlow had been coerced by the Islamic State supporter in the Philippines and said the defendant was "nobody's fool".

He added: "I do not regard you as suggestible or easily taken advantage of. You were well able to resist the Prevent programme."

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