Two labourers were sentenced to 14 years in jail by the High Court here today after pleading guilty to Islamic State-related charges including planning a bomb attack on a 'Better Beer Festival 2017'.

Had Mahadi Ibrahim, 35, and Ahmad Azmi Ahmad Rosli, 26, not been arrested and police had not cancelled the festival that day, stressed Justice Sofian Abd Razak, they would have carried out the bomb attack which would possibly have resulted in deaths and injuries.

On the first charge, Mahadi, a divorcee with four children received 14 years jail for making a bomb after being trained by Muhamad Hafizi Mat Jusoh through a Whatsapp group, ‘The Rise Of Jundullah’.

On the second charge, he was sentenced to five months in jail for intending to involve himself in terrorist activities.

Ahmad Azmi, the eldest of eight children was charged with similar offences and received the same sentences.

They committed the first offence at Kota Bharu, Kelantan between 9.07 pm and 10.28 pm on Sept 23, 2017 and the second offence at a building at Gong Kulim in Pasir Putih, Kelantan between 3.30 pm and 4 pm on Oct 10, 2017.

Ahmad Azmi received another three years on the third charge of possession of 20 photographs, three videos and 16 documents in PDF form related to the Islamic State on his mobile phone.

He committed the offence at Restoran K&K Lot 2689, Jalan Tok Janggut Kampung Kelubi, Pasir Putih, Kelantan at 4.30 pm on Oct 10, 2017.

The court ordered the sentences to run concurrently from the duo’s arrest on Oct 10, 2017.

Earlier in mitigation, the two who were unrepresented told the court that they had repented and would not repeat the offences.

However, Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhammad Fadzlan Mohd Noor urged the court to impose an appropriate sentence in the interest of the public particularly as Islamic State-related cases were a global threat. - Bernama