Go die on the battlefield, I'll be relieved': What wife of alleged British jihadist 'texted her husband before he went to Syria for terrorist training

The wife of an alleged British jihadist who travelled to Syria to join a terrorist training camp told her husband that she would be ‘relieved’ if he died on the battlefield, a court heard today.

Father-of-two Mashudur Choudhury, 31, of Portsmouth, allegedly went to the Middle Eastern country with four other people from his local area.

Kingston Crown Court in South-West London heard that his wife told him a text message: ‘Go die in battlefield. Go die, I really mean it just go. I’ll be relieved. At last. At last’.

Alison Morgan, prosecuting, said: ‘The prosecution alleges that the evidence clearly shows that this defendant planned for and then travelled to Syria with the intention of attending a training camp.

‘The training was to include the use of firearms and the purpose of fighting was to pursue a political, religious or ideological cause.

‘At times in his discussions with others the defendant described his intention to become a martyr.’

The court heard that Choudhury travelled to Syria with four others. Ms Morgan read out a number of messages exchanged by Ifthekar Jaman and the defendant by Skype.

Jaman participated in the fighting in Syria and was ‘widely reported in the media’. It is believed he might have died there.

The court heard that Choudhury questioned him about buying a gun and what clothes and currency were needed at the training camp. He also explained how he was considering divorcing his wife so his debts would not be passed on to her when he left.

In one message, Choudhury asked ‘What can you get for £50?’ Jaman replied: ‘I had a handgun.’

Ms Morgan told the jury: ‘He's asking how much effectively it costs to get a handgun, a firearm, and there is reference to money going to Mr Jaman.’

In another message, Choudhury wrote: ‘And the initial training is four months?’ Jaman replied: ‘One, or six weeks roughly.’

The defendant suggested that the group he was travelling with should be called the ‘Britani brigade Bangladeshi bad boys’. But Jaman replied: ‘Lol sounds long.’

On the subject of what equipment was required, Jaman wrote: ‘For training, light running shoes. You'll do a lot of running in training.’