Detectives discovered that earlier that year Bashir had taken Al-Shamie on a long drive from Manchester to Oxfordshire to do a reconnaissance on the Academy, which trains personnel from the British military and Civil Service as well as foreign students.
They stopped at the site for just 13 minutes and returned home the same day, a journey of 10 hours.
Bashir went to Pakistan following the synagogue attack, but was arrested at Manchester Airport when he returned.
Detectives were able to analyse both Bashir’s phone and one belonging to Al Shamie. Despite both men’s attempts to delete data, evidence was found of them having a “shared mindset”.
Bashir shared a video called Virtues of Martyrs and another called Obstacles in the Path of Jihad on a WhatsApp group, in addition to a series of lectures called The Book of Jihad.
Bashir was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing in July.