Jury goes out in trial into major alleged terrorist plot foiled in Bolton carpark

Walid Saadaoui, 38, was arrested in the car park of the Last Drop Hotel in Bromley Cross with a car full of assault rifles on May 8 last year, the jury heard.

That same day, the court heard, his alleged co-conspirator Amar Hussein, 52, was arrested at Salim Appliances on Grecian Crescent, Great Lever.

A months-long trial heard how Saadaoui set up a “safe house” off Chorley Old Road and with Hussein plotted a mass shooting attack on North Manchester’s Jewish community.

Opening the trial before Preston Crown Court back in October, prosecutor Harpreet Sandhu KC said along with six assault rifles, Saadaoui hoped to receive at least 900 rounds of ammunition.

He said: “Those firearms are fierce weapons.

“The assault rifles are capable of firing several hundred rounds of ammunition per minute.

The trial has been taking place at Preston Crown Court (Image: Newsquest)

“They were 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.”

The trial heard extensive evidence from an undercover operative known only as “Farouk” who addressed the court from behind a screen for around three weeks of evidence.

The undercover operative said that he spent months “mirroring” Saadaoui’s extremist views to convince him that he too as a supporter of Islamic state.

Walid Saadaoui denies preparing acts of terrorism (Image: GMP)

But he said in reality, he was recording Saadaoui’s activities.

“Farouk” said he had first met Saadaoui on Queens Park on February 15, 2024, and ended up travelling with him to Dover to look at the docks ahead of a plan to bring in weapons.

Just days later the undercover operative sent he again met Saadaoui and the pair went around Prestwich and Higher Broughton to inspect potential targets, the court heard.

The court heard they had walked through Prestwich, coming across Synagogues, Jewish nurseries and Jewish schools, kosher shops and kosher cafés.

The trial heard how Saadaoui had joined Jewish community Facebook groups to research potential targets, including a possible march against antisemitism.

Amar Hussein denies preparing acts of terrorism (Image: GMP)

Mr Sandhu told the jury Saadaoui had said: “God willing after we finish with the Jews, with their protest, we move on to the crusaders.”

But when called to give evidence in his own defence, Saadaoui said that he had hoped to “sabotage” the plot.

Questioned by his barrister Felicity Gerry KC how he felt about the Paris atrocity, he said: “It’s horrible. I disagree with killing innocent people.”

Saadaoui, of Crankwood Road, Abram, and Hussein, of no fixed address, deny preparing acts of terrorism.

His younger brother Bilel Saadaoui, 36 of Fairclough Street, Hindley, denies failure to disclose information about an act of terrorism.

A verdict is expected in the coming days.

Source – INDIA TV