Men hatched terror plot to ‘kill as many Jewish people as they could’, jury hears

Two men accused of plotting a terrorist attack in Greater Manchester secured guns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition in a plan to “kill as many Jewish people as they could”, jurors have been told. Walid Saadaoui, 38, and Amar Hussein, 52, have gone on trial charged with preparing acts of terrorism between 13 December 2023 and 9 May 2024. The prosecution in the case at Preston crown court alleges that they are Islamic extremists with a “visceral dislike” of Jewish people. The pair are alleged to have “arranged for the purchase and delivery of firearms, conducted reconnaissance and made plans of attack” on a mass gathering, before the plot was foiled by an “undercover operative” who they thought was a fellow extremist. Harpreet Sandhu KC, prosecuting, alleged the pair had “identified areas in Greater Manchester with a large Jewish population to attack”. The judge Mr Justice Wall said the trial was “coincidental” to last week’s attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Crumpsall, Manchester, and that it was “no part of the prosecution’s case” that the defendants had anything to do with it. Opening the prosecution case on Wednesday, Sandhu showed footage that allegedly featured Saadaoui standing by the open boot of a car in a hotel car park in Bolton, Greater Manchester, before he ran away from approaching counter-terrorism police officers. Sandhu said: “In the car he ran away from were two assault rifles, a semi-automatic pistol and almost 200 rounds of ammunition.” He said the defendant was awaiting delivery of two more assault rifles, another pistol and at least 700 more rounds of ammunition. “Those firearms are fierce weapons,” he said. “The assault rifles are capable of firing several hundred rounds of ammunition per minute. They are the type of firearms used in many terrorist attacks, including attacks in Paris in 2015 when approximately 130 people were killed and hundreds of people were injured.” A third defendant, Walid’s brother Bilel Saadaoui, 36, is also on trial over an allegation he failed to disclose information about acts of terrorism on the same dates. Walid Saadaoui, of Abram, Wigan, Bilel Saadaoui, of Hindley, Wigan, and Hussein, of no fixed abode, deny the allegations. Sandhu said: “Walid Saadaoui was about to receive those firearms and that ammunition because he and Amar Hussein were planning terrorist attacks. In particular, they planned to kill as many members of the Jewish community as they could, especially those in the north-west of England. In addition, they intended to kill any law enforcement or police officers who got in their way.” The trial is scheduled to last 12 weeks.