Terror-accused had suicide vest guide on phone

A man accused of belonging to the so-called Islamic State (IS) had information on his phone about how to produce suicide vests, a court has heard.

Birmingham Crown Court heard Abdullah Yousef, 24, had an "apparent interest" in explosives and created a Telegram group in May 2024 where IS material was allegedly shared.

Prosecutors said more than 7,000 photographs, 21,000 videos and 270 links were shared in the group, which listed Yousef as its owner.

Yousef, of Galapagos Grove, in Bletchley, Buckinghamshire, has denied membership of a proscribed organisation; collecting information of a kind likely to be useful to a terrorist, and six counts of dissemination of terrorist publications.

The court heard how the material included a video about bomb-making and an IS publication discussing the use of knives and vehicles in attacks.

Messages sent to another Telegram user included a link to a video on how to make explosive belts and vests.

In a seperate conversation, Yousef was asked if he would travel to Africa to join the "soldiers of Dawla (IS)", to which he allegedly replied: "Yes… there is empowerment, they have power in Mozambique".

Prosecutor Frederick Hookway said: "This appears to be an expression of his enthusiasm for potentially physically joining the movement of the IS."

He added the jury may find there was "little interpretation needed" of a Facebook message in which Yousef allegedly said, "You know that I support Isis" and "By the way I am a terrorist".

The court heard a 15-page document found in a Telegram data folder on his phone discussed constructing an explosive vest and using shrapnel to injure more people.

An explosives expert said it was "credible and potentially of use to someone preparing an improvised explosive device".

Asked by the Telegram contact if he wanted to "make explosives or go into battle", Yousef is alleged to have replied: "Both, if I can make a good one that would work here. I don't mind."

Yousef is also alleged to have shared videos which appeared to encourage or glorify IS.

Yousef was arrested in December 2025 following a counter-terrorism investigation and largely answered "no comment" during police interviews.

Hookway said Yousef might argue that he accessed the material out of curiosity, but prosecutors said he sympathised with IS extremism and deliberately shared its publications.

The trial continues.

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