Former Mac student pleads guilty in terror plot

The lawyer for another member of the so-called Toronto 18 terrorist group said today that his client was "duped" into participating in a bomb-making enterprise for terrorist purposes.

Defence lawyer Paul Slansky said Saad Gaya, 21, would never have participated in any terrorist plan had he known people would be injured.

"He, in fact, asked for assurances there would be no harm to people," Slansky said outside of a Brampton courthouse.

"And he was given such assurances. It may be those assurances were lies but he was given those assurances. Had he not received such assurances, he would not have participated."

Gaya pleaded guilty today to committing an indictable criminal offence with the intent to cause an explosion of an explosive substance that was likely to cause serious bodily harm or death to persons or was likely to cause serious damage to property. At the time of his arrest he was a first-year science student at McMaster University.