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A nursery worker who fantasised about beheading Katie Hopkins has been jailed for 10 years while her terrorist husband was locked up for 16 years.

Judge Christopher Kinch, QC, said 21-year-old 'Ummar' Mirza was 'a long way down the road to preparing acts of the lone wolf type'.

Madihah Taheer, 22, mentioned the controversial newspaper columnist after Mirza said he wanted to decapitate the leader of Britain First, Paul Golding.

Taheer then helped Mirza in preparing an act of terrorism after buying him a lethal hunting knife online for £120.

She also splashed out £275 on a life size training dummy on Amazon for her husband to practice stabbing.

(Image: West Midland Police)

Forensic evidence showed Mirza had indeed practised knifing the doll, with black marks found streaked across the doll.

The couple was arrested on March 29, a week after Khalid Masood killed five people in Westminster including PC Keith Palmer .

Taheer was seven months pregnant at the time, giving birth to a son in May.

Mirza had been researching Masood on his computer, alongside potential targets, googling Birmingham Barracks as well as Jewish areas of London and Birmingham Central Synagogue.

(Image: West Midland Police)

When he posted a knife emoji on his WhatsApp account police decided it was time to swoop.

Madihah Taheer was jailed for 10 years; Ummar Mirza was jailed for 16 years and his sister Zainub Mirza, 24, was locked up for 30 months.

The trio embraced before they were taken down.

Judge Christopher Kinch QC, said: 'There is an inexorable move from interest and enthusiasm through research and studying to training, sourcing and acquiring equipment to obtaining targets for action.

'At each stage evidence demonstrates that Madihah Taheer was supportive throughout.

(Image: West Midland Police)

'The jury were sure that when she ordered and paid for the cold steel knife she intended to assist her husband in terrorism.

'Ummar Mirza you had moved a long way down the road to preparing acts of the lone wolf type.

'You moved to sourcing equipment, training and researching possible targets.

'The harm which might have caused is undoubtedly high.'

Ummar Mirza hung his head as sentence was passed.