A 15-year-old boy, thought to be the youngest Briton to be convicted of a terrorism offence, was given a life sentence on Friday for inciting an attack on a World War One commemorative event in Australia from his bedroom in northern England. The boy, who cannot be named due to his age, pleaded guilty in July to sending messages online encouraging an attack on police officers at an event in April to mark Anzac Day - a day of remembrance for military dead in Australia and New Zealand. He was just 14 at the time.
The discovery of the boy's actions sparked a massive police operation in Melbourne, which led to the arrest of five teenagers who were planning an Islamic State-inspired attack on an event to mark the centenary of the Gallipoli landings, Australian authorities said. British police said had the plot not been uncovered, it was likely someone would have been seriously injured or killed.
"From the early communication we could read, it was obvious the Anzac Day memorial service was going to be a target," said Detective Chief Superintendent Tony Mole of the North West Counter Terrorism Unit. "People will be understandably be shocked by the age of the boy. However, this should not detract from the horror of what he was planning."