Driver cleared of terror charge over Buckingham Palace sword attack

An Uber driver has been found not guilty of a terror charge after attacking police officers with a 42in Lord of the Rings-style sword outside Buckingham Palace.

Mohiussunnath Chowdhury, 27, of Luton, Bedfordshire, was unanimously acquitted by jurors at the Old Bailey of one allegation of preparing acts of terrorism after a retrial.

Mr Chowdhury, who told jurors he only wanted to be killed by police and had no intention to hurt anyone himself, bit his lip, raised his eyebrows and then saluted the jurors after they spent 11 hours and 36 minutes considering the verdict.

Two unarmed officers suffered cuts to their hands when they fought to disarm him near the Queen’s London residence in August 2017.

They feared for their lives during the “surreal” confrontation as Mr Chowdhury shouted repeatedly “Allahu Akbar” (God is the greatest) on August 25 last year.

Jurors heard how Mr Chowdhury was born in London to a “close and supportive family” but became “self-radicalised” through watching Islamic State propaganda online.

The defendant, of Kirkwood Road, Luton, Bedfordshire, told the court he was upset at the Government’s role in arming Saudi Arabia and felt responsible for the deaths of innocent people in Yemen.

Mr Chowdhury had left his sister a suicide note expressing his hatred for the Queen before setting out, the court heard.

Moments after the verdict was announced, a woman in the public gallery shouted: “It should never have happened.”