Hyde Park terrorist Edward Little has prison sentence increased

Edward Little, 22, from Brighton, was originally sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 16 years at the Old Bailey on December 15. 

But on Thursday (January 4) a judge revised his life sentence to a minimum of 24 years. 

Counter-terrorism police said the new hearing was held under the “slip rule” – Section 155 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 – which allows judges to re-sentence if fresh information comes to light. 

Little travelled in a taxi from Brighton to Lewisham with £5,000 to buy a firearm and bullets when he was arrested on September 23 2022. 

He had targeted a Christian preacher who regularly appeared at Speaker’s Corner, but could have killed anyone who got in the way, police said. 

Little pleaded guilty to preparing acts of terrorism in May last year, and refused to come to the Old Bailey for his sentencing. 

Three members of a crime gang were also jailed for conspiring to provide Little with the gun, although they did not know what it was for. 

Little settled on the plan after rejecting a mass gun attack on the late Queen’s funeral in Westminster. 

Previously, the court heard how UK-born Little converted to Islam at Cookham Wood Young Offender Institution in Kent and at HMP Deerbolt in County Durham, after he turned 18. 

He downloaded extremist propaganda, including copies of the al-Qaida publication Inspire, in the summer of 2022, and spoke of his desire to get hold of a Mac-10 submachine gun and AK-47 assault rifle in encrypted chats on the Threema messaging platform. 

At one point, he wrote: “I don’t think there has been an attack in the UK with guns so a semi-automatic rifle would send an even stronger message.” 

Little agreed to pay a taxi driver £300 to take him from Brighton to Lewisham, south London, on September 23 2022, saying money was no problem. 

The plan was scuppered when armed police moved in to arrest him in south London. 

Prosecutor Duncan Penny KC had said Little planned to kill the Christian preacher, Hatun Tash, at Speaker’s Corner in Hyde Park, anyone with her, as well as any police officers or soldiers in the area. 

Three men were jailed for plotting to sell Little a gun. 

Tyler King, 21, Caleb Wenyeve, 21, and Reis Forde, 27, admitted being party to the plot even though it was accepted they did not know the gun was for a terror attack, police said.   

Left to right: Caleb Wenyeve, Reis Forde and Tyler King (Image: PA)

King, from Lewisham, was jailed for 10 years and nine months for conspiracy to transfer a prohibited firearm, possession of a prohibited firearm and three counts of possession of ammunition without lawful authority.   

Wenyeve, of Blidworth Close in Nottingham, was jailed for 12 years for conspiracy to transfer a prohibited firearm along with Forde, who was jailed for 13 years and six months.  

After a trial, a jury cleared them of conspiring to supply a firearm with intent to endanger life.