'Uber driver armed with samurai sword attacked police outside Buckingham Palace because Queen was enemy of Allah'

Mohiussunnath Chowdhury, 27, was heard shouting "Allahu Akbar" as he tussled with officers as they tried to restrain him near Buckingham Palace, the court heard
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An Uber driver armed with a samurai sword tried to attack police officers outside Buckingham Palace because he believed the Queen was "an enemy of Allah", the Old Bailey heard.

Mohiussunnath Chowdhury, 27, swerved in front of a police van outside the Royal residence and reached for the four-foot blade in the footwell of his cab, it is said.

He wanted to become a "martyr" and was heard shouting "Allahu Akbar" as he tussled with officers as they tried to restrain him, on August 25 last year.

Prosecutor Timothy Kray QC told jurors Chowdhury had left behind a suicide note, addressed to his sister, outlining the reasons for his planned attack.

"Tell everyone that I love them and they should struggle against the enemies of Allah with their lives and their property", he wrote.

"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.

"They are the enemies that Allah tells us to fight."

Mr Kray told the court Chowdhury had bought a sharpener for the sword a few hours before the alleged attack, and wanted to be "in paradise with Allah".

However he now claims that he only intended to get himself killed and was not planning to hurt anyone else.

"He had expressed hatred to the Queen and her soldiers, which in his mind her soldiers included the police", he said.

"It was only due to the bravery and quick reactions of the police that this defendant was stopped from doing some act even more serious."

Mr Kray said Chowdhury "was saying to his sister he intended to get to paradise by becoming a martyr, fighting in his words the enemies of Allah".

The court heard the police officers initially believed they were dealing with a drunk driver when Chowdhury served in front of their van.

However, they soon realised it was a terrorist attack when he became shouting 'Allahu Akbar', jurors were told.

One officer managed to get to Chowdhury before he could take the sword out of its sheath, it is said, while another officer jumped into the car to restrain the driver.

Chowdhury, from Luton, denies engaging in conduct in preparation of an act of terrorism.

The trial continues.

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