Judge orders report by more experienced probation officer on Haider Ahmed of Surrey

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

A judge has delayed sentencing a teenage student who was convicted of plotting a terror attack, because of “deep concerns” over a report prepared by an inexperienced probation worker.

Haider Ahmed was aged 16 and 17 and living with his parents in Redhill, Surrey, when he planned to kill members of the public with a large hunting knife.

The teenager, now 19, had developed a “warped and unswerving” interest in Islamic State, including a fascination with videos showing beheadings, the prosecutor Ben Lloyd previously told Kingston crown court.

But Ahmed must wait until 14 June to be sentenced after the judge, Peter Lodder QC, ordered another pre-sentence report to be prepared by “someone who has greater experience” in dealing with terror cases.

He said on Monday: “I have deep concerns about matters raised in this pre-sentence report. The author is sadly not experienced in this type of work. I’m told that for the sort of report that frankly I was hoping would be available this morning, it will take a further six weeks.

“It seems to me it is not fair or just to anyone to proceed upon this basis. I make clear that the report I seek is a detailed report prepared specifically by a probation officer whose responsibility is work of this type.”

Ahmed made no expression as he was remanded in custody.

Lloyd had described him as a “young man with a radical, dangerous and entrenched mindset who was in contact with others of a similar mindset in other countries”.

Ahmed was found guilty in March of engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts between July 2016 and July 2017.

He admitted other offences, including intending to assist another to commit acts of terror, disseminating terrorist publications and collecting a record of terrorist information.