18 YEARS FOR THE CLUMSY BOMBER
A muslim convert who blew himself up in a botched suicide bomb attack in a restaurant was jailed for life yesterday.
Nicky Reilly, 22, was recruited by extremists over the internet and spent months chatting to them before launching his planned mass killing.
Carrying a rucksack loaded with caustic soda bombs and bottles of paraffin containing nails, he entered a restaurant where 20 people were eating lunch.
But as the bungling terrorist - who had a very low IQ - struggled to assemble the devices in the toilet, one exploded in his face.
Yesterday Reilly was jailed for a minimum of 18 years.
Sentencing him, Judge Mr Justice Calvert Smith said: “This defendant represents a significant risk.
“It was sheer luck and chance he did not succeed in his objective.”
Reilly converted to Islam six years ago and became obsessed with beheading videos and bomb-making.