A Muslim convert Richard Dart who plotted a terror attack in Royal Wootton Bassett has been jailed for six years.

Richard Dart, 30, who appeared in a BBC 3 documentary about Islam in 2011, had also planned to target members of the security services after receiving training at camps in Pakistan.

Dart, the son of Dorset teachers, was jailed at the Old Bailey with his co-conspirators Jahangir Alom, a former police community support officer, and Imran Mahmood.

Dart, who changed his name to Salahuddin al Britaini when he converted to Islam, was jailed for six years, Alom for four years and six months and Mahmood for nine years and nine months.

Mr Justice Simon told the trio they held “radical Islamist beliefs and have shown yourselves to be committed to acts of terrorism”.

Dart, who was also formerly a BBC security guard, refused to stand when he was sentenced, saying: “I don’t wish to stand up, I believe ruling and judging is only for Allah.”

His extremist beliefs were exposed in the BBC television documentary made by his step-brother Rob Leech, called My Brother the Islamist, in which he is seen having close contact with the radical preacher Anjem Choudary.

Bearded Dart, who had only been a Muslim for six months at that point, declared: “I support the cause of jihad, that’s part of being a  Muslim.”

Dart and Alom had travelled to Pakistan to get terrorist training and took advice from Mahmood who had already visited the country.

Dart and Mahmood discussed bomb-making and also that Royal Wootton Bassett, the military repatriation town, could be a potential target.

In fragments of computer conversations between Dart and Mahmood, which they attempted to hide by writing in Word documents and then deleting them, forensics experts discovered a reference to the town.

They had added: “If it comes down to it it’s that or even just to deal with a few MI5 MI6 heads.”

The trio admitted engaging in conduct in preparation of acts of terrorism between July 2010 and July last year at a hearing last month.

Mr Justice Simon said: “I’m satisfied to the required criminal standard that neither of you had ruled out an attack in the United Kingdom, and that you, Mahmood, were looking at arming yourself with a bomb.”

Dart, 30, of  Ealing, west London; Mahmood, 22, of Northolt, west London, and Alom, 26, of Stratford, east London had all been stopped at airports while travelling to and from Pakistan.

When Mahmood was stopped at Manchester in 2010, traces of explosives were found on two rucksacks that he had with him.

He later admitted that he had received rudimentary training in explosives while in Pakistan.

Three three were arrested on July 5 last year just before the start of the Olympics.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Osborne, from the Met’s counter-terrorism command, said: “These are dangerous men. Mahmood had received terrorist training in Pakistan and suggested he had knowledge of how to make home-made explosives, while Dart and Alom made great efforts to travel to Pakistan and aspired to seek training from terrorist groups there.”

He added: “This case serves as a classic example of how terrorists live in our midst while preparing their acts and their determination to travel overseas to train before returning to the UK.”

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