Anjem Choudary’s associate Ricardo McFarlane, 30, has been jailed over fake IDs – but an ASBO breach charge was dropped
A Muslim convert who prayed with one of the London Bridge terrorists has today been jailed for six months for having false identity documents.
Ricardo McFarlane, 30, was arrested after the bogus Spanish ID card was found inside the boot of his blue Nissan Micra when it was seized following a routine stop by police last July.
He was seen with killer Khuram Butt in the Channel Four documentary ‘Jihadi Next Door’, which got 1.2million viewers when it aired in January last year – and banned from seeing hate preacher Anjem Choudary.
McFarlane was due to face trial for breaching an ASBO that barred him from approaching members of the public ‘in order to promote sharia law’ in March last year.
The Muslim convert was also told to stay away from Choudary.
But he and about 20 other men were accused of setting up a stall on Oxford Street in central London where they called for strict Islamic laws to be imposed across the UK.
His trial could not go ahead as planned because the key witness in the case against him, a Muslim security guard from Topshop, called prosecutors to inform them he had flown to Morocco on a ‘family emergency’.
Prosecutors would have had to prove that McFarlane’s actions caused ‘harassment, alarm and distress’ for him to be found guilty of breaching the ASBO.
The security guard did not identify McFarlane, but gave a description that prosecutors claimed matched what McFarlane was wearing in CCTV footage from the scene.
However, Southwark Crown Court heard today that the man had in fact left the country on a pre-booked holiday.
Ricardo McFarlane, 29, prayed with London Bridge attacker Khuram Butt on Channel 4’s the Jihadi Next Door, broadcast last year
Prosecutor Alexander Goudie said today: ‘This defendant faces two indictments.
‘One for the single count of breaching the anti-social behaviour order and the second which relates to the possession of a false identity document.
‘He has pleaded guilty to the identity document matter.
‘The breach of the anti-social behaviour order matter was due for trial on 29 August, however a key prosecution witness contacted the Crown on the day of trial saying he was away on a family emergency’.
McFarlane was filmed in Regents Park before Khuram Butt murdered eight people and left 48 injured in a horrific van and knife rampage with Rachid Redouane and Youssef Zaghba on June 3.
He himself was arrested and quizzed about the terrorist atrocity by anti-terror cops following a raid in east London days later.
Mr Goudie conceded he was in no position to apply for another adjournment and there was ‘no realistic prospect of conviction’ in the absence of the witness so offered no evidence.
Admitting possession of the false document, he claimed to have intended to destroy his Spanish ID once he noticed the card, bearing his photo, was in somebody else’s name but simply had not got around to doing it.
Roy Headlam, defending, told the court that despite the affiliation ‘there is no suggestion that he is engaged in terrorist activity’ or intended to cross borders in such a capacity using the bogus card.
‘There is no suggestion he has attempted to use it for any purpose whatsoever,’ he added.
‘He wanted an identity document, a Spanish identity document, with his picture and in his name to enable him to work in Spain.
‘Once he realised it did not have his name he thought it was of no further use – hence why it was in the boot of his car.’
London Bridge terror attacker Butt knew McFarlane, who was accused of setting up a stall promoting Sharia Law but the prosecution was dropped when the witness left the country
Judge Peter Testar remarked that ‘all of this is very odd’, particularly bearing in mind the fact that even on his own account McFarlane would never have needed the card in the first place.
‘The fact of the matter is that even on his own account he has obtained a false identity card in order to use it to work and that is more or less exactly what defendants from abroad do with identity documents when they want to use them to stay or open bank accounts in this country,’ he added.
‘They are sentenced to tariff terms of six months imprisonment in those circumstances and my decision is that this is the punishment which the defendant should receive on this indictment.’
Last month he refused to stand up for a judge who told him: ‘This is not a court of religion.’
He had told a court usher he would not stand for ‘any man’ – prompting the retort from the judge.
But Judge Martin Beddoe noticed McFarlane was not standing as he entered at Southwark Crown Court yesterday. Roy Hedlam, defending, said: ‘Because of his religious beliefs he believes there is only one person who he should bow to.’
Judge Beddoe replied: ‘That is as may be, but this isn’t a court of religion, this is a secular court and it expects to be treated with respect. That isn’t in breach of any religious principles I’m aware of.’
McFarlane, of Walthamstow, northeast London, denied one count of breach of an ASBO and no evidence was offered.
He admitted a second charge of possessing a false identity document and was jailed for six months.