Jihad al Shamie was on police bail for an alleged rape when he carried out the terror attack yesterday, Sky News understands. Earlier, Greater Manchester Police said one of two people killed was mistakenly shot by officers during the response.
Starmer visits the scene in Manchester
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Jihad al-Shamie was prevented from entering Heaton Park Synagogue on Thursday morning.
Jihad al-Shamie had been due to appear in court charged with a serious sexual offence
The Manchester synagogue terrorist was on bail accused of rape when he carried out his attack, it has emerged.
Jihad al-Shamie, 35, who had a string of minor criminal convictions, was due to appear in court later this year charged with a serious sexual offence.
The alleged rape is understood to have taken place earlier this year in Manchester. The decision to grant him bail will raise questions about whether he should have been in custody when he launched his murderous attack.
Shamie is not thought to have been known to the security services or been on the radar of counter-terror police, despite the fact that in 2012 he was suspected of sending death threats to a Conservative MP.
John Howell, who was the then Tory MP for Henley, reported having received a series of threatening emails after he spoke out in defence of Israel’s right to protect itself.
MP told: people like you deserve to die
One of the letters came from a “Jihad Alshamie”, who told him that “it is people like you who deserve to die”.
Mr Howell was given police protection following the incident, but it is understood no further action was taken against Shamie and he was never spoken to by officers.
On Friday, Ch Supt Emma Baillie, from Thames Valley Police, said: “We have no intelligence that the individual named in connection to the tragic attack in Manchester has ever been linked to any TVP investigation.
“We take any threats of violence extremely seriously, but Thames Valley Police has no record of ever receiving any reports relating to an individual named Jihad Alshamie or Jihad al-Shamie.”
The admission will raise concerns about why a person suspected of making death threats to a politician was not investigated or at least flagged to the security services.
In the last decade two MPs, Jo Cox and David Amess have been murdered by terrorists.
In a statement issued in the wake of Thursday’s terrorist attack, Sir Stephen Watson, Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, said Shamie had never been on any anti-extremist programme.
He said: “Based on what we currently know, our records do not show any previous Prevent referrals relating to this individual.”Greater Manchester Police officers are carrying out searches at a house in Bolton, around 20 minutes from the synagogue.
police vehicles and tactical aid units are there.
