The leader of an alleged bomb plot in the Toronto area in 2006 was "a few fries short of a Happy Meal," an RCMP and CSIS mole testified Tuesday.

But Mubin Shaikh, the Crown's star witness, also told the Brampton, Ont., court that he was relieved authorities were monitoring the man, despite the fantastical nature of his alleged plans.

"This is the thing that bothers me: Do I laugh or do I shiver?" Shaikh said. "Even if he got half way to his intended goals … I'm glad that an eye was kept on him.

"You and I know it was a fantasy, but he certainly didn't think it was a fantasy."

Shaikh's testimony came on the second day of the defence's cross-examination at the trial of a youth accused in connection with the alleged 2006 plot, which garnered international media attention after hundreds of police officers and CSIS agents staged a series of raids on homes and other premises in and around Toronto.

Police told the public after the high-profile arrests that plots to attack buildings, blow up Parliament and behead the prime minister had been under discussion.

CBC News later learned that Shaikh had been undercover with the alleged plotters as a mole since 2005, helping the Crown gather hundreds of hours of secret audio surveillance.

Wanted to convert First Nations to Islam, court told.

Defence lawyer Mitchell Chernovsky portrayed the plans as ludicrous to the point of laughable idiocy.

For example, the man — who cannot be named — wanted to convert Canada's First Nations to Islam, then have them kill Quebecers in exchange for being given Montreal and Quebec City, court heard.

The man, who was perpetually broke, also planned to storm Parliament Hill, a heavily fortified armoury, RCMP headquarters in Ottawa and a nuclear power plant — despite the fact the only weaponry the group had was a single 9-mm handgun.

"How long did it take you to figure out this guy was blowing smoke?" Chernovsky asked.

"I'm not retarded," responded Shaikh, a married father of four who was born and raised in Toronto. "It did become clear at some point this guy is obviously BS'ing about a bunch of stuff."

The accused is the first of 11 people to face trial and cannot be named because he was under 18 at the time of his arrest. Four adults and three youths from among the original accused have had charges against them stayed.

With files from the Canadian Press