Lord Phillips, the Lord Chief Justice, said any direct link between Sohal Qureshi - described as "something of a Walter Mitty character" - and actual acts of terrorism was "relatively remote".

Qureshi's jail term, following a plea of guilty, was "lenient, but not unduly lenient", he said.

Qureshi, a 30-year-old dentist, of Palmerston Road, Forest Gate, east London, was detained as he was about to board a plane to Pakistan in October 2006.

The Old Bailey heard earlier this year that he admitted he was on his way to carry out a terrorist mission and told fellow extremists he planned to "kill many".

After serving half his sentence, minus the 432 days he spent on remand, Qureshi is expected to be free in about a year.