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| Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court |
Usman Choudhary, 33, of Terry Street, Dudley and Christopher Weston, 26, of Bretton, Peterborough communicated while the latter was serving a sentence at HMP Swaleside, Kent.
Choudhary has pleaded not guilty to two counts of distributing terrorist literature, with intent to encourage acts of terrorism, and Weston has pleaded not guilty to one count of encouraging or assisting the offence.
Prosecutor Miss Alison Morgan told Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court: "From at least 2011 to the time of his arrest Choudhary appears to have taken a keen interest in providing support, both in words and deeds, to many individuals convicted of terrorist offences in this country and abroad.
"He has engaged in prolific correspondence with numerous prisoners who fall into that category. He has sent them money and has offered to and sent them books, CD's, DVD's and literature."
The jury were told Weston told the prison authorities on November 18, 2011 that he was changing his religion from Roman Catholic and on August 19, last year applied for Choudhary's telephone number to be added to his allocated account.
On October 1, last year a parcel containing the book 'Join the Caravan' plus 9 DVD's arrived via recorded delivery at HMP Swaleside addressed to Weston - showing Choudhary as the sender.
Staff had concerns about the book's content and it was collected by the Police Prison Liaison Officer who handed it over to the West Midlands Police Counter-Terrorism Unit.
Police raided Chaudhary's home at 7am on December 12 and he was arrested.
"A search was then carried out and a number of books, other literature and correspondence with prisoners were recovered," explained Miss Morgan. "A computer and mobile telephone were also recovered during the course of the search."
The jury were told "extreme ideology" was found on the desktop computer, in particular a text called: 'Thirty-nine Ways to Serve and Participate in Jihad' which gives instructions about physical training with a view to fighting.
Chaudhary's mobile phone also contained an image of a man holding up a decapitated head and he routinely scribbled out the image of the Queen on stamped correspondence he received.
Police also seized a DVD, which included footage of a suicide bomber preparing to carry out an attack, added Miss Morgan. "There is a section encouraging martyrdom in Palestine.
"In short, it glorifies suicide bombing, contains anti-Western sentiment and seeks to encourage people to become martyrs."
Weston's cell was searched on the same day and it was discovered another prisoner passed his details to a group supporting jailed terrorists and suspects in Germany.
In a seized letter the defendant supported the views of notorious radical muslims Abu Hamza and Anjem Choudhary and regarding the killing of soldier Lee Rigby, wrote: "I ask you to consider how much innocent blood did he have on his hands?
"Does it make me an extremist to call the people who killed Lee Rigby my brothers?"
Weston was arrested on January 16 and like his co-defendant answered: "no comment" to all questions.
Regarding 'Join the Caravan' Miss Morgan said: "The prosecution allege that it can be described as a terrorist publication."
It was written by Sheikh Abdullah Azzam and the prosecution say was used to recruit fighters for the Afghan conflict of the late seventies and early eighties.
"The author encouraged unrestricted jihad in the book…..It is an instruction to 'Join the Caravan' of mujahideen and martyrs.
"It introduces the theme of total commitment to violent struggle and the eschewing of peaceful resistance, negotiation or protest.
"It is alleged that it emphatically encourages, from the outset, out and out violence with no scope for peaceful resolution.
"Our law defines terrorism as serious violence, or the threat of violence, pursued for a political, religious, racial or ideological cause.
"Violence used to perpetuate a global jihad would fall into this description."
Trial continues…………
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