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Manchester Arena bomber's brother Hashem Abedi admits involvement | Manchester Arena bomber's brother Hashem Abedi admits involvement |
(31 minutes later) | |
Top row (left to right): Alison Howe, Martyn Hett, Lisa Lees, Courtney Boyle, Eilidh MacLeod, Elaine McIver, Georgina Callander, Jane Tweddle - Middle row (left to right): John Atkinson, Kelly Brewster, Liam Curry, Chloe Rutherford, Marcin Klis, Angelika Klis, Megan Hurley, Michelle Kiss - Bottom row (left to right): Nell Jones, Olivia Campbell-Hardy, Philip Tron, Saffie-Rose Roussos, Sorrel Leczkowski, Wendy Fawell | Top row (left to right): Alison Howe, Martyn Hett, Lisa Lees, Courtney Boyle, Eilidh MacLeod, Elaine McIver, Georgina Callander, Jane Tweddle - Middle row (left to right): John Atkinson, Kelly Brewster, Liam Curry, Chloe Rutherford, Marcin Klis, Angelika Klis, Megan Hurley, Michelle Kiss - Bottom row (left to right): Nell Jones, Olivia Campbell-Hardy, Philip Tron, Saffie-Rose Roussos, Sorrel Leczkowski, Wendy Fawell |
The brother of the Manchester Arena bomber has admitted his involvement in planning the attack for the first time. | The brother of the Manchester Arena bomber has admitted his involvement in planning the attack for the first time. |
Hashem Abedi, 23, was jailed for murdering the 22 people who were killed in the bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in May 2017. | Hashem Abedi, 23, was jailed for murdering the 22 people who were killed in the bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in May 2017. |
During his trial, Hashem denied helping his brother Salman, 22, plan the attack that also left hundreds more injured. | |
But a public inquiry into the bombing heard Hashem Abedi had made the admission in prison in October. | |
The inquiry heard how during an interview with inquiry lawyers, he admitted he had "played a full part and a knowing part in the planning and preparation for the arena attack", in which his brother also died. | The inquiry heard how during an interview with inquiry lawyers, he admitted he had "played a full part and a knowing part in the planning and preparation for the arena attack", in which his brother also died. |
The 23-year-old's admission was confirmed to the inquiry by Det Ch Supt Simon Barraclough, from Greater Manchester Police, who was the senior investigating officer on the case. | |
Paul Greaney QC, counsel to the inquiry, said to him: "You are aware, on 22 October this year, in prison serving his sentence, Hashem Abedi was interviewed by members of the inquiry legal team?" | |
Mr Barraclough told the inquiry he was aware of the admission and agreed it was a "fair summary" to say Abedi admitted he had played "a full part and a knowing part". | |
The detective added that there was "no doubt in my mind" that the prosecution of Abedi was "entirely well founded". | |
Mr Greaney said: "So the point you are making is that it didn't need him to tell you that you had got it right?" | |
Mr Barraclough responded: "I think we had got there with the trial." | |
No further details of the prison interview were provided. | |
Hashem Abedi is serving a minimum prison term of 55 years | |
The court heard how the brothers spent months ordering, stockpiling and transporting the deadly materials required for the attack. | |
They joined their parents in Libya the month before the blast, but Salman returned to the UK on 18 May. | |
He bought the final components needed for the bomb before carrying out the plot as fans left the arena on the evening of 22 May 2017. | |
Abedi was arrested shortly afterwards and extradited to Britain to face trial. | |
He did not give evidence during his trial, providing only a statement in which he denied 22 counts of murder, attempted murder and plotting to cause an explosion likely to endanger life. | |
Abedi originally claimed he did not hold extremist views and had been "shocked" by what his brother had done. | |
"Had I any idea of it I would have reported it to my mother initially and then to other family members to prevent it from happening," he said in his statement. | |
But Abedi, formerly of Fallowfield, Manchester, was convicted by a jury at the Old Bailey and jailed for life in August with a minimum term of 55 years. | |
Salman Abedi in the foyer of the Manchester Arena, seconds before he blew himself up | |
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