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Doctor admits Glasgow bomb charge | |
(40 minutes later) | |
The brother of a man who died attacking Glasgow Airport with a car bomb has admitted withholding information. | The brother of a man who died attacking Glasgow Airport with a car bomb has admitted withholding information. |
Sabeel Ahmed, 26, from Bangalore, India, pleaded guilty to the charge at a hearing at the Old Bailey in London. | |
The doctor was arrested in Liverpool and charged on Saturday 30 June, the day of the attack. | |
Prosecutors say Ahmed received texts and e-mails from his brother, Kafeel, who drove a car into the airport and later died from his injuries. | |
Kafeel Ahmed drove a burning Cherokee Jeep into the terminal building at Glasgow Airport, an attack watched by travellers who escaped serious injury. | |
He was arrested at the scene after being hosed down by an off-duty police officer - but he had already suffered 90% burns. He died in Glasgow Royal Infirmary on 2 August. | He was arrested at the scene after being hosed down by an off-duty police officer - but he had already suffered 90% burns. He died in Glasgow Royal Infirmary on 2 August. |
On Friday morning, the Old Bailey heard that Kafeel had texted Sabeel, who was based in Liverpool, shortly before the attack. | On Friday morning, the Old Bailey heard that Kafeel had texted Sabeel, who was based in Liverpool, shortly before the attack. |
It alerted Sabeel Ahmed to a draft e-mail available to read online. | |
Goal achieved | Goal achieved |
He opened the e-mail after the attack had taken place and learned of his brother's intentions, the court heard. | |
Car bomb: Driven by Kafeel Ahmed | |
In the e-mail, Kafeel Ahmed said he would have achieved his goal by the time the message had been read. | |
It also pointed out he had not said anything beforehand for the safety of both his brother and the "project". | It also pointed out he had not said anything beforehand for the safety of both his brother and the "project". |
He appealed to his brother to keep it secret for as long as possible and to appear shocked if told of what had happened. | He appealed to his brother to keep it secret for as long as possible and to appear shocked if told of what had happened. |
He suggested telling people that he had gone to Iceland as part of a research project on global warming. | He suggested telling people that he had gone to Iceland as part of a research project on global warming. |
Prosecuting, Jonathan Laidlaw told the court the e-mail amounted to instructions from Kafeel to frustrate the police - and that it would have been of "considerable assistance" to the authorities had it been handed over immediately. | |
"He failed to make the required, or any, disclosure and he had, as his plea of guilty now demonstrates, no reasonable excuse for that failing." | |
Attack on airport | |
Mr Laidlaw told the court that Kafeel Ahmed's attack on Glasgow Airport had been intended as a "suicide mission" after the failure of the previous days' car bombs in London. | |
Kafeel Ahmed: Texted brother before he attacked | |
Those attacks had failed because of technical faults in the design of the devices which relied on remote detonation by mobile phone. The mechanism had probably failed because of the smothering effect of petrol vapour, he said. | |
Turning to Glasgow, Mr Laidlaw said: "When outside the terminal, Kafeel Ahmed turned the vehicle sharply and crashed it into the pillars to the right hand side of one of the entrance doors. | |
"He then, having found himself from his perspective out of position, reversed the Jeep and made the first of a number of attempts to drive the vehicle through the airport door, repeatedly hitting pillars and the door frame. | |
"Despite his efforts, the vehicle became trapped. Those who witnessed him described a set and determined face as he stared forward. At that point the vehicle was then 20 feet from passengers queuing within the terminal building." | |
Mr Laidlaw said that Kafeel poured fuel outside the car window, was engulfed in flames and appeared to try to prevent others from getting near him or the Jeep. | |
He is due to be sentenced later on Friday. |