Isis fanatic who planned to assassinate Theresa May compared friend to Four Lions character, hears court

Naa'imur Zakariyah Rahman said his fellow Isis supporter was like the ‘dopey one’ from the comedy film about bungling jihadists

Naa'imur Zakariyah Rahman (left) allegedly planned to assassinate Theresa May and Mohammed Aqib Imran (right) allegedly helped in his plan to join Isis (PA)

An Isis fanatic accused of plotting to kill the prime minister likened his friend to the “dopey” one from the hit comedy Four Lions, a court heard.

Naa’imur Zakariyah Rahman, 20, allegedly planned to murder Theresa May in a suicide bomb and knife attack on 10 Downing Street.

He is on trial alongside Mohammed Aqib Imran, 22, from Birmingham, who he allegedly helped in his plan to join Isis in Syria.

Mr Rahman was arrested in November last year after being snared by British security services, the Old Bailey heard.

He revealed his murderous plot during a conversation with an MI5 agent posing as a senior Isis figure on encrypted messaging service Telegram, it is claimed.

The agent read out transcripts of their conversations from behind a screen at the Old Bailey.

In them, Mr Rahman made reference to Four Lions, a film about bungling British jihadists, saying his Birmingham friend was like one of the characters.

He said: “Amir, have you watched Four Lions?”

The fake Isis leader replied: “I do not have time to scratch my head.”

Mr Rahman responded: “Loool. It’s old. There is one dopey character on there. He’s like him.”

‘Four Lions’ is a dark comedy about bungling British jihadists

The defendant went on to explain his friend was close to “a sister in Europe” but he “trusts too much”.

In further chat, he spoke of settling down and doing an apprenticeship in carpentry or plumbing as “good cover”, jurors heard.

But Mr Rahman allegedly said: “I only want a wife that would want to join with shahada (martyrdom).”

He complained about the “unavoidable” trials of seeing women with no chastity “wherever you walk in London”, adding that Sharia was “needed”.

Mr Rahman went on to voice suspicion a friendly man at his mosque was a spy, seemingly unaware he was speaking to a member of the security services.

He also allegedly told him he wanted to “become a lion like Sheikh Mohammad al-Adnani” – a senior figure in Isis.

Mr Rahman, from Finchley, north London, has denied two counts of preparing terrorist acts.

Mr Imran, of Sparkbrook, Birmingham, has pleaded not guilty to preparing terrorist acts and possessing a terrorist document on his Kindle entitled How To Survive In The West – A Mujahid’s Guide 2015.

Press Association