Cardiff man jailed for downloading IS terror material

A man who downloaded information on how to make explosives and carry out terrorist attacks has been jailed for 28 months, it has emerged.

Nathan Saunders, 23, originally from Tredegar but living in Cardiff, was arrested in February.

He was due to stand trial in August on five charges after downloading publications from so-called Islamic State.

But police confirmed he pleaded guilty and was sentenced at the Old Bailey.

Documents downloaded by Saunders on his phone included advice on carrying out lone attacks and detailed instructions on making improvised explosive devices.

An investigation found he also carried out online research into knives and the manufacture of incendiary devices.

'Radicalisation'

Police said this gave them "a worrying indication of his mindset at that time" and they were concerned about "the potential direction of his behaviour".

He was arrested in a joint investigation by the Yorkshire-based North East Counter Terrorism Unit and Wales' Extremism and Counter Terrorism Unit.

At London's Old Bailey, he pleaded guilty to five counts of possessing a record of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

Assistant Chief Constable Jon Drake of South Wales Police said: "Extremism and radicalisation is something that we continue to be constantly vigilant about.

"Saunders was arrested as part of a pre-planned and intelligence-led operation between counter terrorism officers here in Wales and in the north east and it is through this effective partnership working that he was apprehended, which prevented him going on to commit even more serious offences and putting the public in danger."