Overview
- Ilyas Akhtar pleaded guilty to preparing terrorist acts, possessing material useful for terrorism, one count of church arson, and perpetrating a bomb hoax.
- Prosecutors said he researched explosives, accessed al‑Qaeda material including the Inspire magazine, and bought knives and razor blades as part of his preparations.
- The court heard he gathered parts for improvised devices, including a pressure cooker, screws intended as shrapnel, charcoal, aerosol canisters, matches, lighters, and motor oil.
- He conducted reconnaissance at Windsor’s Victoria Barracks, home to the Coldstream Guards whose duties include protecting royal palaces.
- He denied four arson counts linked to fires at a Slough ice rink and leisure centre, was remanded in custody, and has a provisional trial listed at Woolwich Crown Court in October 2026.