A British supporter of Islamic State has been found guilty of murdering an imam who had his head smashed a hammer in Rochdale a year ago.
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Mohammed Syeedy, a 21-year-old who was a steward at Manchester United’s stadium, was convicted of helping to kill Jalal Uddin, 71.
Prosecutors said Uddin, who reportedly moved to Rochdale from Bangladesh 15 years ago, had made amulets created to bring good luck to the person who wore them.
Kadir, of Chamber Road, Oldham, fled to Turkey in the days following the killing and attempts to trace him have proved unsuccessful.
High Court judge Sir David Maddison will sentence him later.
“You and your co-offender saw the practice as a form of black magic that could not be tolerated within Islam”, he told Syeedy as he sentenced him at Manchester Crown Court.
When police raided Syeedy’s home they found images and recordings which included several pictures of the 21-year-old pointing his index finger to the sky, described in court as a “salute” that has been adopted by supporters of Islamic State.
“Syeedy and his accomplice stalked Jalal round the streets before attacking him and leaving him to die”, said Sue Hemming, head of the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division.
Paul Greaney QC, prosecuting, told jurors that Syeedy and Kadir were Isis supporters who believed Uddin practiced “black magic” and deserved the ultimate punishment.
Syeedy may even have provided the murder weapon – which has not been found – during the night, the jury heard.
He said the brutality of IS had touched him and his family personally with the death of abducted taxi driver and aid volunteer Alan Henning.
Syeedy said he met Mr Henning, 47, at a number of charity events and his elder brother was a close friend who was on the convoy to Syria in which the Salford father was kidnapped in December 2013.
He explained the so-called IS symbols in his possession were merely testaments to his faith and said the terror group had hijacked them for their own ends.
Syeedy, he said, was “a caring humanitarian” who worked tirelessly for a number of charities, both local and global, and his selfless deeds “put us all to shame”.
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Syeedy has told jurors that he followed Uddin in his vehicle, with Kadir in the passenger seat, so that his alleged accomplice could get a taweez from him.
