Man Jailed Over Heathrow Suicide Bomb Plot

A UK citizen has been jailed for 40 years in the United States after plotting to carry out a suicide bomb attack at Heathrow Airport.

Minh Quang Pham, who was born in Vietnam, admitted three counts of terrorist activity based on his support for the group al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).

Prosecutors said he was directed by al Qaeda to detonate a bomb in Heathrow's arrivals area.

Pham denied ever intending to carry out his plot and no attack ever occurred.

The 33-year-old was said to have worked as a graphic artist on al Qaeda's magazine, Inspire.

Prosecutors said he left a pregnant wife in Britain to spend several months training with the terror group in Yemen.

He was detained at Heathrow on his return in 2011, with police finding items including a live round of ammunition.

Pham pleaded guilty to one count of providing material support to AQAP, one count of conspiring to receive military training from AQAP, and one count of possessing and using a machine gun in furtherance of crimes of violence.

During a hearing in New York he admitted making a "terrible mistake" that he regretted.

In a letter to the judge he renounced all acts of terrorism and extremist ideology.

But District Judge Alison Nathan said she believed the US government's contention that Pham planned to carry out "a horrific suicide bombing" at Heathrow.

She said he deserved an "exceptionally severe sentence" after becoming a trusted asset for the terrorist group.

Scotland Yard said it provided key evidence that helped put Pham, who is also known as Amin, in jail.