'Lyrical terrorist' has conviction quashed (From Richmond and Twickenham Times)

'Lyrical terrorist' has conviction quashed

8:34am Wednesday 18th June 2008

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A Heathrow worker who dubbed herself a "lyrical terrorist" and wrote poems about beheadings has had her conviction on terror charges quashed.

British-born Samina Malik, 24, was given a nine-month jail sentence suspended for 18 months at the Old Bailey in December.

But yesterday, Lord Chief Justice, Lord Phillips, sitting in the Court of Appeal with Mr Justice Goldring and Mr Justice Plender, said the court found there was "a very real danger that the jury became confused and that the prosecution have rightly conceded that this conviction is unsafe".

Malik had been found guilty under the Terrorism Act of collecting information of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

The court heard she wrote extremist poems praising Osama Bin Laden on the back of till receipts while working at WH Smith at the airport and possessed a number of documents including the al Qaida Manual, the Terrorist's Handbook and the Mujahideen Poisons Handbook.

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