By John Scheerhout

Copyright manchestereveningnews

Jury selection has started in the trial of two men charged with plotting to carry out an Islamic State-inspired gun attack on the Jewish community in the North West. Walid Saadaoui, 38, of Crankwood Road, Abram, Wigan , and Amar Hussein, 52, of no fixed abode, deny terror charges They have pleaded not guilty to preparation of terrorist acts, namely that between December 13 2023 and May 9 2024, with the intention of committing acts of terrorism, they arranged for the purchase and delivery of firearms, conducted reconnaissance and made plans of attack. A third defendant, Walid’s brother, Bilel Saadaoui, 36, from Hindley, Wigan, has pleaded not guilty to a single charge of failing to disclose acts of terrorism between the same dates. The three men appeared at Preston Crown Court today for a trial scheduled to last 12 weeks. A panel of 60 potential jurors was brought into court in two separate tranches on Tuesday afternoon. The judge, Mr Justice Wall, sent them away to answer a questionnaire to determine if they were able to sit on a trial which he told them was a ‘terrorist trial’ which was scheduled to last for 12 weeks. Never miss a story with the MEN’s daily Catch Up newsletter – get it in your inbox by signing up here He told them jury service was a ‘public duty’ and ‘not a matter of choice’, adding that they would only be excused from selection if there was a ‘good reason’. Mr Justice Wall told the panel the court needed to know whether any of them were ‘personally affected by any terrorist incidents’ or whether they were involved with organisations such as counter terrorism policing. The questionnaire also asked about ‘people and places’ which will be mentioned during the case the members of the panel might know and whether it might be ‘improper’ for them to sit on the case if they did know them, said the judge. After a panel of 14 potential jurors was selected, before sending them home for the day Mr Justice Wall told them: “You are now the 14 people who are pencilled in to form the jury in this case. You will have to be formally sworn in and that’s going to be tomorrow.” He told the panel not to talk to anybody about the trial, adding that they should not conduct their own research: “It’s important you try the case fairly on the evidence so please don’t be tempted to look on the internet either tonight or any other night.” Mr Justice Wall told those who had not been chosen to sit on the panel of 14 and who had not been excluded from sitting to return in the morning in case they had to be ‘parachuted in at the last moment’ if one of the 14 had to be withdrawn. The trial resumes in the morning when prosecutor Harpreet Sandhu KC is due to open the case on behalf of the Crown. Proceeding. — Day in day out, our reporters in the Manchester Evening News newsroom bring you remarkable stories from all aspects of Mancunian life. However, with the pace of life these days, the frenetic news agenda and social media algorithms, you might not be getting a chance to read it. That’s why every week our Features and Perspectives editor Rob Williams brings you Unmissable , highlighting the best of what we do – bringing it to you directly from us. Make sure you don’t miss out, and see what else we have to offer, by clicking here and signing up for MEN Daily News. And be sure to join our politics writer Jo Timan every Sunday for his essential commentary on what matters most to you in Greater Manchester each week in our newsletter Due North. You can also sign up for that here. You can also get all your favourite content from the Manchester Evening News on WhatsApp. Click here to see everything we offer, including everything from breaking news to Coronation Street. If you prefer reading our stories on your phone, consider downloading the Manchester Evening News app here, and our news desk will make sure every time an essential story breaks, you’ll be the first to hear about it. And finally, if there is a story you think our journalists should be looking into, we want to hear from you. Email us on newsdesk@men-news.co.uk or give us a ring on 0161 211 2920.