The head of the so-called Toronto 18 was sentenced Monday to 16 years in prison after pleading guilty to participating in a terrorist group.

Fahim Ahmad's sentence was less than the 18 years to life the Crown wanted but more than the 12 years the defence suggested.Fahim Ahmad, right, was accused with Steven Chand, left, and Asad Ansari in the so-called Toronto 18 case. Chand and Ansari were found guilty of knowingly participating in a terrorist group, and Ahmad pleaded guilty Monday to the same charge. (Alex Tavshunsky/CBC)

Judge Fletcher Dawson ruled that even though Ahmad was the leader of the plot and the person who tried to put together an al-Qaeda-type cell, he wasn't effective at it and was never close to actually carrying out any of his threatened attacks.

Ahmed pleaded guilty in May to importing firearms, participating in a terrorist group and instructing others to carry out activities for that group.

Ontario Superior Court had previously heard the 26-year-old Ahmad organized two training camps in Ontario where he assessed recruits' ability to attack various targets in Toronto and Ottawa, including Parliament.

'Cut off some heads'

Evidence played in court included intercepted conversations in which Ahmad can be heard suggesting his recruits "cut off some heads" and "kill everybody" during a proposed attack on Parliament.

Ahmad has been in custody since 2006. He will be given double credit for that time in jail, meaning the justice system will consider he has already served more than 8 1/2 years of his sentence. He could be eligible for parole in another 3 1/2 years.

Ahmad says his views have changed since his arrest, the CBC's Bill Gillespie reported.

"In letters to the judge … he had realized that he had gotten improper and wrong religious instruction — that he's no longer intolerant of other religious or western people," Gillespie said.

The judge acknowledged Ahmad's apparent remorse.

"I am not dealing with someone who remains openly defiant," Dawson said. "Perhaps I'm only optimistic, but I see prospects of rehabilitation."

Thirteen adults and four youths were charged after a series of raids in June 2006. An 18th individual was arrested two months later.

Of the 18 originally charged, seven saw their charges dropped or stayed. Four were found guilty and seven pleaded guilty.

With files from The Canadian Press