Terror trial jury shown police surveillance footage of accused
Terror trial jury shown police surveillance footage of accused
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Terror trial jury shown police surveillance footage of accused

John Scheerhout 🕒︎ 2025-11-08

Copyright manchestereveningnews

Terror trial jury shown police surveillance footage of accused

Jurors have been shown police surveillance footage of two brothers accused over an alleged plot to kill 'as many Jews as possible' in a gun attack in Manchester in the summer of 2024. Walid Saadaoui and his brother Bilel Saadaoui were pictured walking along Crankwood Road in Leigh close to Walid's home on March 22, 2024. On April 5, 2024, Walid and Bilel Saadaoui were captured on further surveillance footage at Heaton Park in Manchester. The pair walked to Dower House where they were observed kneeling down and they appeared to be praying, the court was told. Later they were observed sitting beside each other on a bench on a path towards The Stables cafe where they were seen to be looking at the screens of their phones. Tunisia-born former restaurateur Walid Saadaoui denies terror charges while his brother Bilel Saadaoui denies a charge of failing to disclose acts of terrorism between the same dates. As their trial resumed at Preston Crown Court today, the jurors were told that on April 11, 2024, Bilel Saadaoui sent Walid a voice note in which he said 'May Allah the almighty make you arrive safely and return you back safely'. Bilel went on to tell Walid to 'say hello to my mother'. The jurors have heard that Walid Saadaoui planned a trip to Tunisia ahead of the alleged plot in the summer of 2024. Questioned by prosecutor Harpreet Sandhu KC, an undercover operative named only Farouk spent his ninth day in the witness box. He was said to have posed as a jihadi to uncover an alleged plot to murder Jews in Manchester. Farouk told the court on Wednesday that Walid had told him he want to visit his mother 'one last time'. When counter terror cops arrested him in May 2024, Walid Saadaoui tried to flee but officers found two assault rifles, a semi-automatic pistol and almost 200 rounds of ammunition in his car, the court has been told. He was awaiting delivery of a further two assault rifles, another pistol and more ammunition to launch a terror attack to kill 'as many Jews as possible' in Prestwich , Higher Broughton and Cheetham Hill in the summer of 2024, according to the Crown. Walid Saadaoui and his co-defendant Amar Hussein deny terror charges. Today undercover operative Farouk told the jury that Walid - unaware the conversations were being recorded - told him in another call that he had had a fight with his brother in law and 'I hit him and he needed to have six stitches'. Walid told Farouk that his brother in law 'went to the the station, went to the tawagheet (tyrants) to complain'. The defendant Walid said there was 'blood' because he had hit his brother in law in the face during the conversation with Farouk, the jury was told. "He stood in front of the station and he had blood and everything and he lost a tooth," Walid was said to have told Farouk. Walid said his brother-in-law had 'got me very angry' and 'honestly Satan took over'. He told the undercover operative that in the end the brother-in-law did not complain but 'the family has been split'. Earlier, the jurors were told about a conversation between Farouk and Walid Saadaoui on March 23, 2024, when a child was heard to cry during the conversation. When Farouk discussed sending Walid pictures of weapons said to have been sourced from Morocco, the jury heard that Walid Saadaoui was captured saying 'what is the matter? dad is on the phone' while a child was screaming and crying in the background. Farouk told the court he believed Walid was talking to a child at the time. "One moment brother," Walid said, and Farouk said he believed this comment was directed to him. The jury heard that Walid Saadoui, as a child continued to scream in the background, said: "What is the matter with you? Go back... Dad is talking. Dad is talking on the phone. Go." The witness told the jury he told Walid Saadoui about a cousin who the agent had suggested would take care of the weapons in France and would also take part in the attack. The jurors were told that on March 23, 2024, Farouk sent Walid Saadaoui two pictures of weapons on the Telegram social media platform. The undercover operative told the jury one showed two loaded magazines for a handgun and one loaded magazine for a Kalashnikov together with a handgun. He said the second showed two Russian Kalashnikovs. Farouk sent a message moments later which said 'Russian' and then '87 centromeres', which the witness said this was a reference to the length of the machine guns. The jurors have previously heard that Walid Saadoui adopted a code to refer to weapons, where a 'European gold finch' was a reference to a gun. During the Telegram conversation, Walid sent a reply which read: "Give him vatarox every 5ml open it in 100ml water. For a period of seven days." Moments later Farouk told Walid in another message: "My brother, the Goldfinch is sick." Farouk said the messages were 'just talking about general birds', and, pressed by prosecutor Harpreet Sadhu KC, the witness told the court: "Anyone who looks at the phones are going to see conversations regarding birds." Walid Saadaoui and Amar Hussein 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. The court has heard that Mr Saadaoui's defence is that he was being pressured by others and that he planned to sabotage the plot and alert the police. 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. Proceeding

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