Terrorists face 14 year minimum sentences if they plot to kill at least two victims under tough new guidelines

TERRORISTS will be hit with a minimum of 14 years behind bars if they plot to kill at least two victims under tough new guidelines.

Justice secretary Dominic Raab said the move would send a message to “those who kill and maim in the name of warped and fanatical ideologies”.

GettyPolice officers stand near Fishmongers Hall, which held former prisoner Usman Khan before he murdered two people[/caption]

The change would also include cracking down on extremists who travel to war zones.

The advice for judges is an attempt to tackle some ‘loopholes’ that have allowed those planning terrorist attacks to receive shorter sentences.

The Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Act 2021, which took effect in April, introduced tougher sentences for “serious terrorism offences”.

The Sentencing Council has confirmed that it will advise judges that a starting point for sentencing will be a minimum of 14 years behind bars.

The legislation could also lead to harsher sentences for those who travel to war zones – in the same way for those who joined ISIS.

Closer monitoring of those who have left prison will also be enforced and stricter licence terms of between seven and 25 years will be encouraged.

If offenders have breached the terms of their licence terms they could be returned to prison.

Offenders were being given relatively short sentences despite plots involving multiple deaths.

In 2019 Safaa Boular, a British Isis supporter who planned an attack with grenades and guns on the British Museum in London, had her life sentence minimum term reduced from 13 years to 11.

The Court of Appeal acknowledged that she was a teenager and had been groomed.

Haider Ahmed, a teenager from Surrey who plotted a knife attack was jailed for six years.

This comes after Ali Harbi Ali, 25, continues to be questioned over the murder of Sir David Amess.

He has been detained under the Terrorism Act.

TOUGHER STANCE

Ali was allegedly radicalised after watching YouTube videos of hate preacher Anjem Choudary, former friends claimed.

Sir David Amess’ grief-stricken family said: “We are broken.”

One friend who witnessed his dramatic change told The Sun last night: “Choudary was someone he became utterly obsessed with.”

Despite Ali’s radicalisation, relatives claimed he had trained to become an NHS doctor after spending four years at a top medical school.

But investigators are confident that Ali, 25, was not directed by terror kingpins abroad.

He had been previously referred to the Government’s Prevent anti-terror scheme but investigators are still piecing together how and when he became radicalised.

It’s believed he was referred to the scheme as long ago as five years ago by a teacher who believed him to be an extremist risk.

Ali Harbi Ali was radicalised after watching YouTube videos of hate preacher Anjem Choudary, ex-friends claimed

Tory MP Sir David Amess was knifed during a constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, on Friday