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Court hears of computer blunder Terror accused 'had Osama video'
(about 3 hours later)
Useful evidence may have been destroyed when a laptop seized from a terror suspect was switched on before being passed to analysts, a court has heard. Video footage of Osama Bin Laden urging Jihad against the West was found on the laptop computer of a man accused of terror charges, his trial has heard.
Computer expert Michael Dickson has been giving evidence at the trial of Mohammed Atif Siddique at the High Court in Glasgow. Computer expert Michael Dickson, 42, told the High Court in Glasgow he found the files "hidden" on a laptop seized from student Mohammed Atif Siddique.
The 21-year-old student from Alva in Clackmannanshire has denied a total of five charges. The computer was taken from Mr Siddique as he prepared to fly from Glasgow Airport to Pakistan in April last year.
Mr Dickson also showed the jury copies of websites accessed from the computer. Mr Siddique, 21, denies five charges under the Terrorism Act 2000.
They included a site which contained links to Islamic web addresses depicting people injured in war and to prominent politicians. Mr Dickson, a forensics analyst with the National Hi-Tech Crime Unit, told the court that he had made a copy of the hard drive of the laptop and examined it.
'Serious effect' No one should be touching a computer after it has been seized, unless they are qualified to do so Michael DicksonForensics Analyst
The court was also told files on the laptop had been moved from obvious areas to better hidden sections. He said the material was placed in a Windows folder where it would be difficult for anyone who did not know anything about computers to find.
The court heard the machine had been seized from Mr Siddique at Glasgow Airport in April last year. When he opened the folder he found videos, pictures and sound files which he agreed with prosecutor Brian McConnachie QC "seemed to be concerned with radical Islamic politics".
Nobody should be turning a computer on after it has been seized for any reason unless they are suitably qualified to do so Michael DicksonForensic analyst Some of the material was screened to the jury on large flat screen TV monitors.
A report from Mr Dickson, a forensic analyst with the e-crime unit attached to the police, stated it had been turned on before he examined it. The commentary and chanting on them was in Arabic but there were subtitles in English.
He told the court: "An initial examination of this system revealed it was last activated between approximately 2219 BST and 2330 BST on 5 April 2006. The video proclaimed "victory for the mujahadeen" and showed images of Osama Bin Laden followed by the Twin Towers in New York exploding after the attacks of September 2001.
"This immediately struck us as being unusual as we were informed that the computer had been seized from the accused's possession at about 2000 BST the same date." It also showed images of world leaders including US president George Bush, former UK prime minister Tony Blair and the president of Pakistan branded as "criminals", followed by photographs of injured Muslim babies and adults.
Mr Dickson said further examination revealed that the times and dates associated with more than 200 files on the system had been updated between these times. It urged the destruction of the enemy, injustice and oppression.
The subtitles also urged the direction of the forces against America, and to "send them what descends from the skies" and "make hurricanes a constant for them".
'Catastrophic damage''Catastrophic damage'
He added that information may have been destroyed, though it was impossible to tell. Mr Dickson told the court that in normal procedure, when a computer was seized the hard drive of the computer was removed and a copy made. Another file said to have been released by the Al Qaeda Network called for the release of prisoners at Guantanemo Bay in their orange boiler suits.
The original was then put back into the computer and analysts worked on the copy to preserve the integrity of the computer. A further one showed photographs of members of the "Martyrdom Batallion" with a message to America and its allies: "We are marching towards you with men who love to die just as much as you love to live."
Mr Siddique was stopped by detectives at Glasgow Airport When Mr Dickson was asked by Mr McConnachie: "Why would someone put documents into windows options?", he replied: "In my opinion to hide it."
Mr Dickson went on to say that turning a computer on could have serious consequences. Earlier in his evidence, Mr Dickson said useful evidence may have been destroyed when the laptop was switched on by a Special Branch detective before being passed to analysts, against standard police procedure.
He said: "Nobody should be turning a computer on after it has been seized for any reason unless they are suitably qualified to do so." He added: "No one should be touching a computer after it has been seized, unless they are qualified to do so, as anything they do may cause catastrophic damage to the evidence.
"Anything that they do may cause catastrophic damage to some of the evidence held on the computer's hard drive and the whole process of turning the computer on will cause a number of things to happen to the hard drive which may override things that may have been useful to see." "The whole process of turning the computer on will cause a number of things to happen to the hard drive which may override things that may have been useful to see."
Police operation The court heard 'serious damage' could have been caused
Mr Siddique was arrested at his family home in Alva in a police operation on 13 April 2006, eight days after the computer was seized. Mr Siddique was arrested at his family home in Alva, Clackmannanshire, in a police operation on 13 April 2006, eight days after the computer was seized.
He has been accused of possessing suspicious terrorism-related items including CDs and videos of weapons use, guerrilla tactics and bomb-making.He has been accused of possessing suspicious terrorism-related items including CDs and videos of weapons use, guerrilla tactics and bomb-making.
He has also been accused of collecting terrorist-related information, setting up websites showing how to make and use weapons and explosives, and circulating inflammatory terrorist publications.He has also been accused of collecting terrorist-related information, setting up websites showing how to make and use weapons and explosives, and circulating inflammatory terrorist publications.
A further charge of breach of the peace relates to claims that he showed students at Glasgow Metropolitan College images of suicide bombers and terrorist beheadings.A further charge of breach of the peace relates to claims that he showed students at Glasgow Metropolitan College images of suicide bombers and terrorist beheadings.
This charge also includes the allegation that he threatened to become a suicide bomber, and claimed to be a member of al-Qaeda.This charge also includes the allegation that he threatened to become a suicide bomber, and claimed to be a member of al-Qaeda.
The trial, before Lord Carloway, continues.The trial, before Lord Carloway, continues.