Chilling phone footage shows a Muslim convert who threatened to ‘flatten’ a mosque and kill an anti-terror Islamic cleric plotting attacks in a city.
Jason Savage, 35, who dubbed himself ‘Lone Wolf’ can be heard mapping out his targets as he plans to carry out attacks in Birmingham.
The bone-chilling video shows Savage openly scoping out the area for exit routes for when police would arrive in messages sent to an undercover officer three days before his arrest.
Savage, from Small Heath, also recorded himself carrying out a reconnaissance of the mosque he intended to ‘flatten’saying: ‘That seems like the best way to get away – the police will probably come from that way.’
Upon heading to another area, he made a hair-raising remark, saying: ‘So this seems like a better route. All down there right, left is no good. They have a school here though that’s the only problem’.
Savage was jailed for life yesterday with a minimum sentence of 16 years for planning atrocities on police buildings, military targets, a mosque and a book store in England’s second city.
Jurors at Birmingham Crown Court deliberated for five hours and 48 minutes before unanimously convicting the 35-year-old on January 30, finding him guilty of preparation of terrorist acts
A court heard he researched firearms and the ‘lethal use of knives’ and also watched ‘barbaric’ Islamic State videos as he became more radicalised.
On the day of his arrest, Savage said in a voice note to a friend he would ‘see him in paradise’ and believed what he was planning would result in him dying.
Muslim convert Jason Savage threatened to ‘flatten’ a mosque and kill an Islamic cleric who criticised terrorism
Jurors unanimously convicted Savage of a single count of engaging in conduct in preparation for terrorist acts on or before March 14 last year
But unknown to him he had been revealing his plans to an undercover officer and he was arrested before any atrocity could be carried out.
The jury heard how Savage – since March 2022 and up until his arrest in March 2024 – had researched and planned activity to carry out an attack.
Peter Ratliff, prosecuting, had told the court how Savage converted to Islam some time during the 2010’s and followed an extreme and violent interpretation of the Salafi movement.
He said: ‘The prosecution suggest the defendant subscribed to the extreme and violent interpretation of the Salafi movement of which the terrorist groups Al Qaeda and Islamic State are visceral examples.’
Mr Ratliff said Savage had targeted a Salafi cleric associated with a mosque and bookstore in Small Heath because the cleric was an outspoken critic of Islamist terrorism and extremism contrary to Savage’s views.
The jury were shown the reconnaissance video which was made by Savage three days before his arrest.
It shows him walking round the location of the mosque and bookstore, discussing points of entry, the routes that the police would likely attend from and escape routes.
Mr Ratliff said: ‘These were, the prosecution suggests, plainly reconnaissance videos in preparation for an attack.’
Jurors also heard that at some point in early 2024 Savage broke the handle off a kitchen knife and replaced it with cloth
Savage was found to have been watching knife-fighting techniques on YouTube and spoke in his videos about how his alleged targets were to be ‘hunted down’. Pictured: A knife found in his home
Savage has been jailed for life with a minimum sentence of 16 years (pictured: Birmingham Crown Court)
Savage also downloaded and watched violent and extremist videos, researched how to kill with a knife and how to make parts of a gun and ammunition.
The jury also heard that Savage made internet searches about homemade firearms and ammunition, including pipe guns, nail guns, firing pin mechanisms and shell casings.
He also carried out reconnaissance of military buildings and police stations as potential locations to target.
Days before his arrest, Savage changed his WhatsApp profile to ‘Lone Wolf’ which police say indicated he was planning to carry out an incident on his own.
A knife was also recovered from his address which he had adapted by removing the handle and wrapping with cloth.
Head of Counter Terrorism Policing West Midlands, Detective Chief Superintendent Alison Hurst said: ‘Many arrests that are carried out for terrorism suspects are pre-planned however the arrest of Savage was one conducted in a street during an evening as we had become increasingly concerned around his behaviour.
‘Thanks to these quick actions to protect the public, there is no doubt that we stopped a dangerous individual carrying out an attack that would have caused injuries and potentially also fatalities.’
Bethan David, Head of the Counter Terrorism Division of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: ‘Jason Savage actively plotted to attack a cleric whose views he disagreed with, and other people.
‘The CPS will continue to work to ensure those that plan to commit violent acts in the name of ideology and extremism are prosecuted.’
