The head of a cyber-grooming cell who recruited the country's youngest terrorist for a “worldwide” holy war has been jailed for 12 years.

Aabid Khan, 23, who was possibly plotting to attack the Royal Family, was a key player in radicalising others. When the former fast-food worker from Bradford met Muhammad Munshi, 15, he enrolled him in his mission to “wipe out non-believers”. The schoolboy sent downloaded details on grenades and detonators to his mentor, and to Sultan Muhammad, 23, his fellow cell member and Khan's cousin, who was jailed for ten years.

The trio, described as a “very real threat” by Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, were variously convicted of eight counts of possessing articles for a purpose connected with terrorism and making a record of information likely to be useful in terrorism.

Passing sentence at Blackfriars Crown Court, in Central London, on the two older defendants, Judge Timothy Pontius said that the material police seized was “amongst the largest and most extensive ever discovered” and made the case one of the most serious of its type.

He added that Khan and Muhammad had been convicted on “cogent, compelling and incontrovertible evidence”. Radicalised by their “warped view of Islam”, both had “brought incomparable shame upon yourselves, your families and your religion”.

Munshi will be sentenced next month.

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