Man who plotted suicide bombing in Bristol set for parole hearing

A Bristol man, jailed in 2009 for planning a suicide bombing at The Galleries in the Broadmead shopping area is set for a parole hearing, meaning he could soon be released from prison.

Andrew Michael, known as Isa Ibrahim, from Westbury-on-Trym, had organised an attack on The Galleries, planning to blow himself up using a suicide vest. Becoming self-radicalised at 19, Ibrahim had been inspired by the London 7/7 bombers and idolised Al Qaeda’s Osama Bin Laden.

Police searches of Ibrahim’s home uncovered explosive chemicals identical to those used in the 7/7 attacks, as well as an incomplete suicide vest and potential detonator.

Growing up in a Christian family and attending a number of private schools in the Bristol area, Ibrahim later converted to Islam and changed his name by deed poll to Isa.

He struggled with drug abuse issues as a teenager, and was expelled from multiple private schools where he had struggled to make friends and had experienced bullying. Ibrahim’s relationship with his family had broken down in the years before his planned attack, causing him to declare himself homeless.

In perhaps one of the first cases of its kind, the Muslim community in Bristol played a vital role in flagging Ibrahim as a potential risk to others. He was unknown to security services at the time and was only investigated after a tip-off from Bristol’s Al-Baseera Mosque.

Ibrahim was denied parole in 2018, and although the reasons could not be explicitly stated, The Parole Board explained decisions were “solely focused on whether a prisoner would represent a significant risk to the public after release and whether their risk can be safely managed by the National Probation Service in the community”.

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Now 36, Ibrahim has been put forward for another parole hearing, which if approved could see him released back into the community. A statement from a Parole board spokesperson said, “We can confirm the parole review of Isa Ibrahim has been referred to the Parole Board by the Secretary of State for Justice and is following standard processes,”

“Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community.”

The spokesperson said a panel will “carefully examine a huge range of evidence, including details of the original crime, and any evidence of behaviour change, as well as explore the harm done and impact the crime has had on the victims”.

A huge amount of evidence will be under review, with input from probation officers, psychiatrists, and psychologists as well as victim’s statements, with the hearing set to last a full day or more.

“Parole reviews are undertaken thoroughly and with extreme care. Protecting the public is our number one priority”, the Parole Board has said in a statement.

“A decision on Ibrahim’s case is expected over the coming weeks.”

Image via SWNS

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