Jihadi Jack told parents he wanted to behead British soldiers in ‘martyrdom’ attack, court hears

Teenage Muslim convert told parents he wanted to ‘personally’ behead former school friend who joined army

A teenage Muslim convert who travelled to Isis territory in Syria said he wanted to behead an old school friend and other soldiers in a “martyrdom operation”, a court has heard.

Jack Letts’ parents are accused of attempting to send him more than £1,700 after he reached the terrorist group’s stronghold, despite being warned about his radicalisation and activities.

The Old Bailey heard that Sally Lane, 56, and John Letts, 58, believed their son was being “manipulated” and argued with him in messages.

The jury was told that the couple knew the teenager had married someone in Iraq and journeyed onwards to Syria, posting a photo of himself online at a dam in Isis’s de facto capital of Raqqa.

In July 2015, almost a year after Ms Lane bought her son a plane ticket for a “grand adventure” in the Middle East, he wrote about his desire to carry out a terror attack on Facebook.

The court heard that a former school friend called Linus posed a photo of himself and other soldiers who passed a Commando Artillery Course in the British Army.

Jack responded with the message: “I would love to perform a martyrdom operation in this scene.”

Prosecutors said that Mr Letts challenged his son by criticising “your Isis leaders” and writing: “Do you really think that blowing up a bunch of young soldiers is a victory for Allah? Suicide bombs will achieve nothing Jack.”

The teenager, who converted to Islam aged 16, responded: “I genuinely believe attacking the British army is a very praiseworthy action when the intention is correct.

“I would happily kill each and every one of Linus Unit personally. This message for you, mum and [younger brother] Tyler, I honestly want to cut Linus head off.

“I hope he finds himself lost in Beji or Fallujah [cities in Iraq] one day and sees me whilst I’m armed and I put six bullets in his head.”

Ms Lane questioned whether someone else was using her son’s Facebook account and added: “I’m really hoping that your disgusting comments about cutting people’s heads off are not coming from you.”

Prosecutors said the messages showed that Jack’s parents had doubt about who they were messaging or where the money they sent would end up, meaning they had “reasonable cause to suspect that the property would or might be used for the purposes of terrorism”.

The court heard that Mr Letts and Ms Lane were initially supportive of Jack’s trip to the Middle East, which saw him leave the UK for Jordan aged 18.

The jury was shown a photo of Jack Letts posing at the Tabqa Dam outside Raqqa (Facebook)

But Mr Letts later accused his son of lying about his plans and was to “helping to spread hatred, pain, anger, suffering and violence”.

In March 2015, police visited the family home, seized their computers and devices and the couple were formally warned that they could be prosecuted for sending their son property or money, jurors were told.

When he found out about the raid, Jack responded: “Please convey to the British police that I’m not planning on coming back to their broken country … convey to them from me ‘die in your rage soon you’ll be the ones being raided!’.”

The court heard that in September 2015, Ms Lane transferred money to a third party’s account in Lebanon after her son insisted it had “nothing to do with jihad”.

She allegedly told him: “I would go to prison for you if I thought it gave you a better chance of actually reaching your 25th birthday.”

Prosecutor Alison Morgan QC said: “Although the money was physically sent by Sally Lane, this was a joint enterprise between both defendants.”

She previously told the jury that the couple sent money transfers totalling more than £1,700 to their son despite having “knowledge or reasonable cause to suspect that it might be used by him or others to support terrorist activity”.

“It was not open to these defendants to take the law into their own hands and to send money to their son, whatever their own reasons and motives may have been,” Ms Morgan added.

John Letts and Sally Lane, the parents of Jack Letts, dubbed Jihadi Jack, arrive at the Old Bailey, London, on 22 May 2019 (Yui Mok/PA)

In October 2015, Ms Lane allegedly told her son: ”Clearly I indulged you, I made you think you were the centre of the universe. I regret this bitterly.

“I was a terrible parent that gave you too much power as a child – I should have made you adapt to the world, instead of adapting myself to your world. I have done you no favours by doing this.”

In a police interview the following month, Ms Lane denied helping terrorists and said she hoped the money she sent would pay for her son to get glasses.

In December that year, the court heard that Jack urged his mother to send him more cash.

Mr Letts contacted a police liaison officer, claiming his son was “desperate to get out” and “in danger” because he had made a break from Isis.

The officer mistakenly claimed they could send funds in the genuine belief Jack needed help to leave Syria, but jurors were told that other officers quickly clarified that the defendants did not have permission.

Despite the risk of arrest, Ms Lane allegedly attempted to send £1,000, saying: “We know you are in danger so we feel we have no choice but to help you and send it. You have to use it to get out as we don’t want to support Isis.”

Later she asked Jack to confirm if he was in danger, to which he replied: “Define danger.”

When the defendants discovered the transfer had been blocked by authorities, they allegedly tried to make two transfers of £500 using false details, jurors heard.

The attempt was blocked again and they were arrested.

Ms Morgan accused the parents of committing terror offences despite being warned by police officers, “academics who told the defendants what to do and not to do, who they had sought out for advice, and a charity worker who advised them as to how they might encourage their son to come back from Syria”.

The defendants, of Chiswell Road in Oxford, deny three charges of funding terrorism.

The trial continues.

Additional reporting by PA