Migrant ‘tried to break into Israeli embassy armed with knives’
Kuwait-born defendant allegedly scaled embassy fence with knives before being stopped by armed police, court hears
A migrant tried to break into London’s Israeli embassy armed with two knives to “exact revenge” for the killing of children in Gaza, a trial has heard.
Kuwait-born Abdullah Albadri, 34, is accused of planning a terror attack in Palace Green, Kensington, on 28 April last year, the Old Bailey heard on Wednesday.
Catherine Pattison, prosecuting, said that at just before 6pm, Albadri, armed with two knives and with a red and white scarf wrapped around his head and face, jumped on to an 8ft fence and tried to enter the embassy grounds.
Ms Pattison said Albadri was “almost successful in his attempt to scale the fence”, and that had it not been for the armed diplomatic protection officers there to reach up and grab him, he would have been.
He later told police “that he wanted to send a message, to stop the killing of children, to stop the war”, which prosecutors said was a reference to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, the court heard.
Jurors were told that police officers seized several pieces of paper, including one which “read as a martyrdom note”.
Albadri denied in a prepared statement to police that he was preparing to commit an act of terrorism and said the knives were intended for “personal use” as he was homeless.
Ms Pattison said: “The prosecution say that Mr Albadri’s intention was to use or threaten serious violence against the Israeli government, to exact revenge for its alleged murder of children.
“The existence and contents of his suspected martyrdom note, along with his possession of two knives, and material downloaded from his mobile phone, demonstrate his intention to use violence against people inside the Israeli embassy and sacrifice his own life in the process – to die, in his words, ‘for the glory of God’.
“Thus, say the prosecution, this was an act of terrorism intended by him.
“His intended threat or use of serious violence was designed to influence the Israeli government, for the purpose of advancing a religious, political or ideological cause.”
The court heard that Albadri first entered the UK in August 2021, arriving at Dover in a small boat from France.
He applied for permission to stay in the country but did not attend an interview with the Home Office.
The defendant had left the country but returned on a small boat from France in April 2025.
He was provided temporary accommodation and tried to begin the process to apply for permission to stay in the UK, the court heard.
But his application for asylum was later rejected, Ms Pattison said.
The court heard that hours before the alleged attempt to break into the embassy, Albadri sent his mother a picture of a handwritten note, which had the line: “I will not go back on my decision to go in the cause of Allah, to come out for His sake and to stand up to the enemies in order to support the religion of Allah Almighty.”
Jurors were told that the letter added: “This is the only way and the last resolution for me.”
Ms Pattison said that the note was written by someone “intent on ending their life” and “in his mind, proving a point by doing so”.
Jurors heard that after his arrest, Albadri told officers “I just want them motherf****** stopping bullshit for kids. There are too many kids, man”.
He allegedly asked officers “Why not let me in?”, the court was told.
Albadri denies preparation of terrorist acts and possession of two bladed articles and the trial continues.
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