A TikTok user with thousands of followers has been sentenced to four years in youth detention for downloading a detailed bomb-making video believed to have been used by the Manchester Arena terrorist.
Arsenal of weapons found in bedroom
Adam Mahmood, now 20, was found guilty of a single count of possessing a recording likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism following a trial at Birmingham Crown Court in September. The court heard that in October 2023, Mahmood, then 18 and living in Garrett's Green, Birmingham, asked another user for the video via Telegram and received it.
Police raided the semi-detached house he shared with his parents and two brothers in March 2024. In his bedroom, officers discovered what they described as an "arsenal of weapons" displayed on his wall. This collection included several knives, a ball bearing gun, and ball bearings themselves.
His TikTok profile, which had over 27,000 followers, showed him wearing a balaclava with a black Islamic flag behind him, posing with weapons including a bow and arrow, an axe, and a sword.
Chilling video content and extremist material
The nearly 15-minute video found on Mahmood's phone provided detailed instructions on producing a homemade explosive known as the "mother of Satan" and a detonator. It also explained how to pack such a device with ball bearings to maximise its deadly effect.
Prosecutors stated the footage was believed to have been used in the preparation of both the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing and a failed attempt to detonate a device on a London Underground train at Parsons Green. Mahmood last accessed the video about a week before his arrest in March 2024.
Alongside the bomb-making guide, police discovered Islamic State propaganda praising martyrdom, as well as videos depicting executions and beheadings on his phone.
Defence claims dismissed by judge
During the trial, Mahmood claimed he was not an extremist and had only skimmed the bomb-making video, missing critical sections. He defended the weapons in his room as memorabilia linked to television or gaming, stating they were for "cosplay".
However, Judge Simon Drew KC dismissed these claims during sentencing. He stated that the presence of ball bearings in Mahmood's room indicated he was "at least contemplating assembling such a device". The judge labelled Mahmood a "dangerous" individual.
"You deliberately saved this video to your phone. Its visuals and subtitles made clear it was a bomb-making guide," Judge Drew told him.
The judge also highlighted Mahmood's "alarming display of medieval weapons", adding: "The presence of such an arsenal in the bedroom of an 18-year-old was a clear warning sign - one that, regrettably, no responsible adult acted upon."
Judge Drew concluded that Mahmood's phone indicated a "high level of interest in, and support for, prohibited terrorist organisations" and that he was "some way down the path to a deeper personal engagement in terrorist activities".
Mahmood was sentenced on Thursday, 15 January 2026. He received a four-year term in a youth detention facility and will serve an additional three years on extended licence upon release.
