Memory stick man pleads guilty

A man who had a recipe for ricin on a computer memory stick has pleaded guilty to terror-related offences
12 April 2012

A man who had a recipe for a deadly poison and documents about how to build bombs has pleaded guilty to terror offences.

Asim Kausar, 25, from Bolton, Lancs, had the information on a computer memory stick which contained details about the deadly toxin ricin and other documents showing how to build improvised explosive devices (IEDs), Manchester Crown Court heard.

The documents were titled, Improvised Munitions Handbook and Unconventional Warfare Devices and Techniques.

The court heard that the information only came to light after Kausar's family suffered a burglary and the memory stick was handed to police so officers could view CCTV images of the break-in recorded on the device.

When police analysed the memory stick Kausar's hoard of terror-related information came to light.

He told officers he had downloaded the information out of "curiosity and a thirst for knowledge", the court heard.

Kausar, of Bardon Close, Halliwell, Bolton, was due to go on trial before a jury but instead pleaded guilty to four counts of collecting a record of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism, between January 1, 2009, and June 4, 2011. He pleaded not guilty to a fifth count of the same charge which was ordered to lie on file.

The case was not opened by prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones and the matter was adjourned for sentence.

Miss Karmy-Jones said the prosecution accepted the defendant had only "skim read" the information and had not put it to any practical use. There was also no evidence to suggest Kausar had any links to terrorists or had tried to pass the information on to others.

Judge Andrew Gilbart QC indicated Kausar was facing a maximum sentence of two and a half years in jail but ordered the preparation of a psychiatric and pre-sentence report. Kausar was remanded into custody for sentence on January 13.

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