Abdullah Yousef, 24, of Galapagos Grove in Bletchley, Milton Keynes, has been found guilty of terrorism offences at Birmingham Crown Court. The jury returned unanimous verdicts on Monday, according to Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE). Yousef had denied one count of membership of a proscribed organisation (Islamic State), one count of collecting information likely to be useful to a terrorist, and six counts of dissemination of terrorist publications.
Details of the Offences
The trial heard that Yousef created a Telegram messaging group in May 2024 where a large body of IS-generated material was shared. Prosecution counsel Frederick Hookway said that over 7,000 photographs, 21,000 videos, and 270 links were shared in the group, which Yousef owned. The material included instructional content such as a video about an "amazing way" to make a bomb. The group also featured an IS publication discussing the use of knives and vehicles in terror attacks, referencing the 2016 truck attack in Nice, France, which killed 86 people.
Yousef sent messages to other users stating, "You know I support IS, Daesh, Islamic State" and "By the way, I am a terrorist." He also shared a link to a video on how to make explosive belts and vests. A 15-page document found in a Telegram data folder on his phone, titled "aimed for personal development and knowledge of Mujahideen," detailed how to construct an explosive vest, including the use of ball bearings or nails as shrapnel to injure more people. An explosives expert said the document contained information that was "credible and potentially of use to someone preparing an improvised explosive device."
Yousef's Defence and Arrest
Yousef was arrested in December 2025 following a counter-terror investigation. He largely answered "no comment" during police interviews, Hookway said. Giving evidence, Yousef claimed his messages about being a terrorist and supporting IS were a "joke" and had "no explanation" for them. When asked why he had the explosive vest manual, he said, "It's a random document I came across on the internet, I don't remember looking at it." He admitted to a "curiosity" about explosive vests but said, "If someone is curious, they are just curious … they don't have any bad intentions behind it." He denied having an interest in making or sharing an explosive device. When asked about sharing a Koran quote about striking the necks of "disbelievers," he replied, "I don't need to answer that."
Yousef, who is from Egypt, also told another Telegram user he had finished electrical studies at MK College in Buckinghamshire, which was supposed to "help me make explosives," but said he wanted to learn more from the "archive" of IS materials. Asked if he wanted to "make explosives or go into battle," he replied, "Both, if I can make a good one that would work here. I don't mind." He also sent videos featuring IS fighters and a commander, one about the 9/11 attack sent on its anniversary in 2025, and two others showing armed men and the IS flag.
Police Statement and Sentencing
After the verdict, Detective Chief Superintendent Oliver Wright, head of CTPSE, said: "Yousef professed being a member of Daesh, a proscribed terrorist group in the UK, that promotes violence in furtherance of its cause. He also made vast quantities of terrorist material available to others, including details of how to make improvised explosive devices and a video glorifying the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers. Sharing this content can have the very harmful result of encouraging those vulnerable to radicalisation to adopt a similar extremist mindset and be motivated to engage in terrorist activity."
A date for sentencing has not yet been fixed, with the case adjourned for a pre-sentence report to be carried out.
