Express & Star

Teenager ‘started laughing’ when Manchester Arena attacker talked of bomb-making

The witness was giving evidence in the trial of Hashem Abedi.

Published
Hashem Abedi

A teenager has told how he “started laughing” when the Manchester Arena attacker encouraged him to study chemistry to learn how to make bomb.

The young man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was giving evidence in the trial of Hashem Abedi, 22, who is accused of plotting the May 2017 bombing with his brother Salman Abedi, who died in the blast.

In a police interview played in court, the witness, then aged 16, told of one occasion when he was in Hashem Abedi’s car, accompanied by his brother and Salman Abedi.

Recalling the conversation with Salman, the student said: “He has told me stuff. We was in the car… ‘do chemistry so you can build a bomb’.

“Before that he talked about martyring. He talked about Jihad. ‘Jihad is beautiful’.

“And he was talking to me and he said to me, like he goes, basically not I wanna be a martyr but he was talking about how being a martyr was something big.”

He added: “I didn’t used to think he was an inspiration in any way shape or form, do you know what I mean?”

Asked how he reacted to the bomb comment, the witness said: “I would not associate their family to be that type.

“I just looked and I did not even take it in. I looked out and started laughing.

“I laughed it off. He (Salman) might have laughed too. He might have said ‘heh’.

“Even if he said to me ‘I’m building a bomb’ I would not have believed him. That’s how insane it is, you know what I mean?”

Manchester Arena incident
Hashem Abedi, younger brother of the Manchester Arena bomber, in the dock at the Old Bailey (Elizabeth Cook/PA)

The witness told jurors how the Abedi brothers would remind him to go to prayers by text message.

Salman also visited his house and talked about religion, the teenager said: “He would speak about how this life is temporary, make sure you don’t get lost.

“He would tell me ‘clean the house’. He would not stay for long.”

The witness said he respected Salman even though he appeared “fatigued” and to “lack energy”.

Hashem was like a “handyman” who liked to talk about fixing cars, jurors heard.

On Salman, the teenager said: “I was revising maths. He came in and said ‘I hate education’. Hashem said the same thing.”

Another witness told the court how Salman Abedi had expressed “empathy” for Isis.

Ibrahim Khalifa, who went to school with Salman, had lived at the Abedi home in Manchester for a time in 2015, the court heard.

Recalling a time when they watched television together, Mr Khalifa said: “There was a news article on Isis when Salman showed empathy towards Isis. I cannot remember the exact date.

“It was just how the media attack the group. I don’t remember the exact details.”

He said Salman had suggested that “maybe they were right”.

Prosecutor Duncan Penny QC asked: “Who were right?”

Mr Khalifa replied: “Isis.”

The witness told the court that Hashem was present and appeared to be “in agreement”, while others disagreed.

After leaving the Abedi house, Mr Khalifa said he did not see the brothers again until April 2017.

Mr Khalifa told the court that when he saw Salman in 2017 he noticed he had lost weight, having previously worked out at the gym.

Salman told him of his plans to move to Libya, the court heard.

Cross-examining, Stephen Kamlish QC suggested that Salman got Hashem to do the cooking in the house.

On the day the news article on Iraq and Isis was aired in 2015, Hashem was in and out preparing a traditional stew as Salman watched television with his friends, it was suggested.

Mr Kamlish asserted that Hashem had said nothing either for or against Isis when the news item came up.

The witness said: “That could be right.”

On May 22 2017, Salman Abedi detonated a homemade device, killing 22 people and injuring hundreds more as they left an Ariana Grande concert.

Hashem Abedi allegedly helped his sibling to stockpile bomb-making materials, sourcing two of the three chemicals for TATP explosives.

The defendant, from Manchester, has denied 22 counts of murder, attempted murder and plotting with his brother to cause explosions.

Sorry, we are not accepting comments on this article.