A Muslim man from Huddersfield who was convicted of plotting terrorist acts has claimed the jury was influenced by his religion.

Mohammed Abbas Awan was sentenced to 10 years in prison by a judge at Sheffield Crown Court.

The trial heard he had been groomed by his older brother – an Islamic State suicide bomber Rizwan Awan.

Shortly after he was sentenced Abbas Awan has vowed to clear his name.

He has released a statement via his lawyers.

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He said: “Ever since the day of my arrest in June this year, I have been desperate to clear my name and had hoped that the trial process would have exonerated me from being labelled a terrorist.

“To say that this is unfortunate is an understatement. I said I was innocent in June 2017 and I still maintain my innocence of the allegations against me.

“I cannot go behind the jury’s decision and do not know why they convicted me.

“I suspect that given the present climate, Muslims such as myself, facing charges of terrorism will find it difficult to be tried by people who are not influenced by what is being said about Muslims in particular and Islam in general.

“I confirm that I abhor and condemn all forms of terrorism.

“I have instructed my lawyers to appeal against my conviction and sentence.

“I sincerely hope that one day, in the near future, I will be able to show that I am innocent of the charges against me.”

Following a three week trial at Sheffield Crown Court, the jury took just four hours to find him guilty of preparing for terrorist acts and possession of material likely to be useful to a terrorist.

The dental student, 24, whose family home is in Rudding Street, Crosland Moor, was arrested on June 1 following counter-terrorism raids at his parents’ house and his student home in Sheffield.

The jury was told Awan had a portfolio of documents that celebrated IS killings and had purchased 500 ballbearings which he ordered over the internet and were delivered to the family home.

He also had material about creating electronic devices.

During sentencing, judge Paul Watson QC told Awan: “You had all the advantages of a young man growing up in this country in a family of respectable, caring and dedicated parents.

Mohammed Awan - convicted of three terror offences after a raid at his home in Crosland Moor Pic shows seized ballbearings Pic issued by Nwctu

“Even now they are unable to comprehend that their devoted, youngest son should have allied himself so completely with the forces of extremism.

“The devastation for them is barely imaginable.

“Your elder brother, not only went to Syria in 2015 but then killed himself in a suicide bombing in 2016.

“Now their youngest son stands convicted of possessing material useful to terrorists and of preparing for an act of terror himself.

“They know, as you do, that they will now be losing their youngest son for a very long time.

“The ideology to which you had so clearly wedded yourself is, to all right-thinking Muslims living in harmony in this country, utterly abhorrent.

“Your romanticised notions of a jihadi struggle involving violence and destruction are far removed from the Islamic faith as it is practised by the overwhelming majority of peace-loving Muslims in this country.

“However much you may have convinced yourself to the contrary, they resent you and all that you stand for as diminishing their belief in the sanctity of life, their core values and those of a proud and noble faith.

“You are, in my view someone who is even now in the grip of idealistic extremism.”

However, the judge added that: “I am satisfied that over time and with increasing maturity, it is likely that you will discard those extreme notions and will be integrated safely back into society.”