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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Jury acquits bomb plotter's wife | Jury acquits bomb plotter's wife |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The wife of a man convicted of plotting to bomb aircraft has been found not guilty of failing to pass on information to prevent terrorism. | The wife of a man convicted of plotting to bomb aircraft has been found not guilty of failing to pass on information to prevent terrorism. |
| Cossor Ali, 28, of east London, was cleared by a jury at Inner London Crown Court after a three-week trial. | Cossor Ali, 28, of east London, was cleared by a jury at Inner London Crown Court after a three-week trial. |
| Her husband, Abdulla Ahmed Ali, was jailed for 40 years in September for plotting to blow up transatlantic jets. | Her husband, Abdulla Ahmed Ali, was jailed for 40 years in September for plotting to blow up transatlantic jets. |
| Upon hearing the verdict, Mrs Ali cried "thank you, thank you, thank you" then fled the courtroom. | Upon hearing the verdict, Mrs Ali cried "thank you, thank you, thank you" then fled the courtroom. |
| Prosecutors had argued that Mrs Ali knew her husband planned to carry out a suicide bombing but failed to tell police. | |
| However, the jury believed Mrs Ali's defence that she did not know anything about his plans. | |
| Mrs Ali had told the court she felt her identity was being "erased" at the hands of an abusive husband and his strict Muslim family after their marriage in 2003. | Mrs Ali had told the court she felt her identity was being "erased" at the hands of an abusive husband and his strict Muslim family after their marriage in 2003. |
| Notebook entries | Notebook entries |
| Jurors heard that he once hit her so hard that imprints of his fingers were left on her face. | Jurors heard that he once hit her so hard that imprints of his fingers were left on her face. |
| The court was also told that Ali had forced her to wear a veil and even gave her a "love bite" on the cheek so she "wouldn't forget" to cover her face. | The court was also told that Ali had forced her to wear a veil and even gave her a "love bite" on the cheek so she "wouldn't forget" to cover her face. |
| Prosecutor Richard Whittam QC had argued that Mrs Ali began to sympathise with her husband's extremist beliefs. | Prosecutor Richard Whittam QC had argued that Mrs Ali began to sympathise with her husband's extremist beliefs. |
| Father of Cossor Ali, Mohammed Anwar, said justice had prevailed | Father of Cossor Ali, Mohammed Anwar, said justice had prevailed |
| In an entry that she made in a notebook in 2005 when she was waiting for her husband to return from Pakistan, she wrote: "I am growing more and more attached to the cause for which you are striving for (sic), and the reason for which we are apart. | In an entry that she made in a notebook in 2005 when she was waiting for her husband to return from Pakistan, she wrote: "I am growing more and more attached to the cause for which you are striving for (sic), and the reason for which we are apart. |
| "I hope and pray Allah grants your wish and gives you the highest level of Shahada (martyrdom)." | "I hope and pray Allah grants your wish and gives you the highest level of Shahada (martyrdom)." |
| The prosecution also claimed that she knew her husband planned to carry out a terror attack since he wrote his will in March 2004. | The prosecution also claimed that she knew her husband planned to carry out a terror attack since he wrote his will in March 2004. |
| The will read: "We know with full certainty that we are going to die so let us aim high and strive for the best death ie shahada (martyrdom), and let us do the most pleasing deed to Allah and make the greatest sacrifice, fight with our life, tongue and wealth in the path of Allah." | The will read: "We know with full certainty that we are going to die so let us aim high and strive for the best death ie shahada (martyrdom), and let us do the most pleasing deed to Allah and make the greatest sacrifice, fight with our life, tongue and wealth in the path of Allah." |
| Following the verdict Colin Gibbs, of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said: "We believed we had sufficient evidence to put a case before a jury that Cossor Ali knew of her husband's mission to become a martyr for his terrorist beliefs. | Following the verdict Colin Gibbs, of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said: "We believed we had sufficient evidence to put a case before a jury that Cossor Ali knew of her husband's mission to become a martyr for his terrorist beliefs. |
| "It was our case that from notes she wrote to him she knew of his intention to commit an act of terrorism and that this would have involved his own death and others." | "It was our case that from notes she wrote to him she knew of his intention to commit an act of terrorism and that this would have involved his own death and others." |
| Mrs Ali's father Mohammed Anwar told reporters outside court that the family was grateful to the jury for returning a unanimous verdict. | Mrs Ali's father Mohammed Anwar told reporters outside court that the family was grateful to the jury for returning a unanimous verdict. |
| "The truth has won and justice prevails. | "The truth has won and justice prevails. |
| "We have suffered as a family over the last three and half years for the actions of some individuals with whom we have nothing in common." | "We have suffered as a family over the last three and half years for the actions of some individuals with whom we have nothing in common." |