Greater Manchester police have apologised and admitted “a missed opportunity” before the attack on a city synagogue.
The force’s chief constable, Sir Stephen Watson, said the phones of the Heaton Park synagogue attacker, Jihad al-Shamie, were seized by officers but crucial data was not examined.
“There can however be little doubt that the information contained within these devices would have inspired further investigative action,” Watson said. “It is clear that our not having reviewed the data available to us prior to the attack constitutes a missed opportunity.
“I am disappointed at the prospect of adding to the distress of all of those affected by the terrible events last October. For this, I am deeply sorry.”
Watson’s apology came as a friend of Shamie, Mohammad Bashir, was on Thursday jailed for life with a minimum term of ۱۷ years for a terrorist act that the pair planned two months before the synagogue attack.
Bashir, ۳۱, and Shamie, ۳۵, travelled by car to the UK Defence Academy in Shrivenham, Swindon, on a hostile reconnaissance mission, Manchester crown court heard.
That took place in August last year. In October Shamie was shot dead by police after he attacked the synagogue on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
Watson said that now legal proceedings against Bashir were completed, he could now share more information about police dealings with Shamie.
He said Shamie was arrested by police in February and September last year.
Watson said: “In conducting an internal review, it became apparent that GMP had seized al-Shamie’s mobile devices, at the point of each arrest. The significance of the data contents of these devices was substantial in respect of evidencing an extremist mindset.
“Regrettably, I can confirm that the significance of the information stored on al-Shamie’s devices was not realised as they had not been examined before the attack took place on ۲ October ۲۰۲۵.”
He said the police watchdog, the IOPC, was now reviewing GMP’s past investigations into Shamie.
More details soon …
