Man charged over allegedly assisting Manchester synagogue attacker with reconnaissance of defence facility

A man has been charged with four terrorism offences following allegations that he assisted Manchester synagogue attacker Jihad al Shamie with an earlier reconnaissance of a UK defence facility, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.

Mohammad Bashir, 31, of Cheetham Hill, will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday. The CPS said the assistance provided was not in relation to the attack by al Shamie on the Heaton Park Synagogue in Crumpsall, Manchester, on 2 October.

Worshippers Melvin Cravitz and Adrian Daulby were killed after 35-year-old al Shamie, a Syrian-born UK citizen, drove his Kia Picanto into the gates of the synagogue and then started attacking with a knife, wearing a fake suicide belt. The charges allege that Bashir drove al Shamie to an unnamed defence facility on 14 August.

Bashir will also be prosecuted for sharing material online with intent to encourage acts of terrorism, the CPS said. Frank Ferguson, chief crown prosecutor of the Crown Prosecution Service Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: "Today, we have decided to prosecute Mohammad Bashir with terrorism offences following a Counter Terrorism Policing North West investigation into his conduct linked to Jihad al Shamie.

"Our prosecutors have concluded that there is sufficient evidence to charge Mohammad Bashir with one offence of preparation of terrorist acts and three offences of sharing terrorist publications with al Shamie and others with the intent to encourage acts of terrorism." The British national, who police say has a self-defined ethnicity of British-Pakistani, was arrested at Manchester Airport on 27 November. Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts, who holds operational responsibility for Counter Terrorism Policing North West, said: "This morning we have charged Mohammad Asim Bashir with a number of terrorism offences, including preparation for acts of terrorism.

"These charges aren't directly linked to the terrorist attack which took place at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue, but have come as a result of inquiries conducted by our investigation team. "Our investigation into the attack remains live, and I would continue to appeal to anyone with information that could potentially be of assistance to please come forward." Al Shamie was fatally shot by armed police as he carried out his attack..