Two men accused of plotting to kill Jewish people in Manchester planned to cause "untold harm", a court has heard. Walid Saadaoui, 38, and Amar Hussein, 52, are alleged to have prepared acts of terrorism between December 13, 2023 and May 9, 2024.
Opening the prosecution case at Preston Crown Court on Wednesday, Harpreet Sandhu KC showed footage of Walid Saadaoui standing by the open boot of a car in a hotel car park in Bolton, Greater Manchester before running from approaching counter-terrorism police. In the car were two assault rifles, a semi-automatic pistol and almost 200 rounds of ammunition.
Saadaoui was also awaiting delivery of two more assault rifles, another pistol and at least 700 additional rounds of ammunition. The prosecutor told the jury: "Those firearms are fierce weapons. The assault rifles are capable of firing several hundred rounds of ammunition per minute."
Weapons compared to Paris attacks
Mr Sandhu compared the weapons to those used in the 2015 Paris attacks that killed approximately 130 people and injured hundreds more. "The firearms and ammunition Walid Saadaoui was about to receive were capable of causing untold harm," he said. "Untold harm was precisely what Walid Saadaoui had planned to cause together with Amar Hussein."
The prosecutor's opening address was interrupted by an outburst from Hussein, who repeatedly shouted: "Don't talk shit." From the dock, Hussein added: "How many children? How many babies?" before trial judge Mr Justice Wall asked the jury to leave temporarily.
The judge later apologised for the "disturbance" and said Hussein chose not to return for the rest of the prosecution opening. Earlier, Mr Justice Wall clarified that this case was "coincidental" to last week's attack at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester, stating it was "no part of the prosecution's case" that the defendants were involved.
Planned mass casualties revealed
"They planned to kill. They planned to cause mass fatalities. In particular, they planned to kill as many members of the Jewish community as they could, especially those in the north west of England," Mr Sandhu said. The men had identified mass gatherings of Jewish people and areas in Greater Manchester with large Jewish populations to attack.
Both defendants were described as Islamic extremists prepared to risk their own lives. They also intended to kill any law enforcement or police officers who interfered with their plans.
The men believed they were planning with a third person called Farouk who shared their extremist views, but Farouk was an undercover operative. "Their plans were laid bare through their communication with Farouk and, as a result, the police were able to stop those plans from becoming a tragic reality," the prosecutor said.
Third defendant and family preparation
A third defendant, Bilel Saadaoui, 36, Walid's brother, is charged with failing to disclose information about terrorism acts on the same dates. Bilel Saadaoui was not planning to take part in the terrorist attacks but knew what his brother was up to and sympathised with Islamic State views.
Walid Saadaoui had prepared a will in preparation to "martyr himself" and left a copy with his brother, along with access to his belongings and tens of thousands of pounds in cash to help provide for his family. During the time of the allegations, Hussein worked at Salim Appliances in Bolton and effectively lived there.
Messages revealed hatred
The prosecutor pointed to WhatsApp messages between Bilel Saadaoui and Hussein which "provided a flavour of the views they held about Jewish people". In one message from 2021, Bilel Saadaoui had sent Hussein a link to a news report about Jewish people killed in a bridge collapse, adding the hashtag "Beloved Palestine".
Hussein replied: "Allah is truly vigilant over them." Mr Sandhu told jurors: "That was not a response in sympathy but rather a message that gloried in the death of Jewish people. It shows how deep-rooted and long-standing that dislike for the Jewish people was."
Walid Saadaoui, of Abram, Wigan; Bilel Saadaoui, of Hindley, Wigan; and Hussein, of no fixed abode, all deny the allegations. The trial is scheduled to last up to 12 weeks.
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
