Friday, December 11, 2020

Bin Laden's spin doctor is back in UK after being freed early by US

 

  • Adel Abdel Bary, 60, was jailed over the 1998 terror attacks that killed 228
  • Morbidly obese Bary won early 'mercy' release because he's at risk of Covid
  • Arrived back at his £1m London flat to his wife yesterday from the United States
  • Britain will not ship him back to his native Egypt over human rights obligations

Osama bin Laden's spin doctor is walking the streets of Britain again today after being released from a US prison because he is too fat to be locked up safely amid the pandemic.

Adel Abdel Bary, 60, was jailed over the devastating 1998 attacks on US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania that killed 224 people.

But the terror propagandist won early 'mercy' release because his morbid obesity and asthma puts him at risk of Covid.

He walked free from a customs enforcement detention facility in New Jersey on Tuesday and flew back to London yesterday.

The Egyptian national, whose son is an ISIS jihadi rapper, has returned to live with his wife Ragaa, 59, at their £1 million council flat in Maida Vale.

His lawyer told The New York Times: 'After all this time, all Mr. Bary wants is to enjoy a quiet life with his family.' 

Bary was arrested in the UK in 1999 and extradited to the States in 2012 where he struck a plea deal which ended with him being sentenced to 25 years behind bars.

He was charged with 285 offences, but pleaded guilty to just a handful, including threatening to kill by means of explosive and conspiracy to murder US citizens abroad.

The terrorist, who leased London offices in Kilburn Lane for bin Laden's propaganda activities, had 16 years taken off due to the time he had spent on remand.

He was born in Egypt but was granted asylum in Britain in 1991.

David Cameron's government is reported to have struck a deal with Washington to accept Bary back into Britain upon his release to avoid a human rights breach.

Bary would likely be tortured and killed if deported back to Egypt.

A security source told The Sun: 'His return remains a huge headache for the Home Secretary.

'She is intent on ridding the country of threats, but here's a notorious terrorist dumped right on her doorstep.'

He is the father of ISIS jihadi Abdel-Majed Abdel, who was arrested in Spain after travelling to Syria where he posed with the severed head of an Assad regime soldier. 

Bary's lawyers had argued earlier this year that his morbid obesity was an 'extraordinary and compelling' reason to let him go.

The judge agreed that he should be released on compassionate grounds because the coronavirus was a great risk to his health, given his obesity and asthma.  

ISIS jihadi Abdel-Majed Abdel Bary
ISIS jihadi Abdel-Majed Abdel Bary

Adel Abdel Bary is the father of jihadi Abdel-Majed Abdel Bary and bin Laden's former spokesman

Bary had been serving his sentence in the ADX Florence supermax prison in Colorado before being shipped over to the east coast and then onto London. 

He will not be placed under Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures because he has already served his sentence.

Bary was granted asylum in the UK in 1991 after fleeing his native Egypt

Bary was granted asylum in the UK in 1991 after fleeing his native Egypt

Sources told The Sun he will almost certainly claim welfare from the state and be granted security monitoring for his safety, costing the taxpayer tens of thousands.  

After Bary was granted asylum he became the London cell leader of Egyptian Islamic Jihad – a terror group which merged with al-Qaeda.

Following the August 1998 African embassy bombings, Bary was responsible for transmitting claims of responsibility to the media.

In one of the court hearings leading to his sentence he wept before the judge after he admitted using fax machines and phone calls for the messages.

He said: 'I arranged to transmit messages from media personnel to my co-conspirators, al-Zawahiri and Bin Laden.'

At his 2015 sentencing, Judge Lewis A. Kaplan had initially expressed concern that the plea bargain arranged with prosecutors was too lenient.

Handing down a sentence of 25 years, much of it hacked away already by time spent on remand, Judge Kaplan told Bary that he was the beneficiary of an 'enormously generous plea bargain.'

Bary expressed remorse, telling the judge: 'If I could just do something to bring the victims back, your honor, I would have done it, but unfortunately I can't.' 

His 29-year-old son was captured by Spanish authorities in April this year after trying to sneak into the southern town of Almeria from north Africa.

He was stripped of his British citizenship after fighting for Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

Thursday, December 10, 2020

Vicious young Derby rapist attacked four vulnerable women in city suburbs

 A rapist carried out a series of horrific sex attacks on women working as prostitutes in Derby.

Muhammed Jan approached the victims looking to pay them for their services but once they were alone he would subject them to either rape or sexual assault.

Derby Crown Court was told how the women were vulnerable and some struggled to give statements against the depraved 24-year-old pervert who had violated them.

Jan denied the vile crimes and so forced his victims to give evidence and talk about their horrific ordeals at his hands.

They were persuaded to and to attend court and give their evidence by the policing team which has been praised by a judge for snaring the attacker, of Nightingale Road, Osmaston.

A jury took less than four hours to find Jan guilty of two counts of rape, one of attempted rape and three counts of sexual assault against four different sex workers in the latter part of 2019.

Adjourning his sentence until February, Judge Jonathan Bennett told Jan: “These are extremely serious offences and I think that you, potentially, are a danger to young women, particularly sex workers.

“So I need a (psychiatric) report on whether you are dangerous to the public.”

The trial heard how Jan would solicit the services of the women in Normanton before raping or sexually assaulting them.

After being charged with two counts of sexual assault, police issued a plea for other city sex workers to come forward if they too, had been attacked by Jan.

In total four women bravely did so, two saying he had violently raped them.

The offences all took place close to Arboretum Park, Normanton Road and other areas where sex workers are known to operate in Derby.

The attacks took place between October 27 and December 2 last year.

Judge Bennett said: “I think the officer in the case, DSI Jason Beardsley and his team, are due a lot of credit and I think the Chief Constable should know this.

“This case has been very hard to manage because the women were very vulnerable and it has not been easy getting them to court.

“Most of them really did not want to make complaints.

“There was a very difficult situation at the start of the trial when one of the victims arrived to give evidence and saw the man she claimed had raped her and went to leave.

“She was encouraged to come back and it is because of the proactive work done by the police that Mr Jan has been caught.”

Judge Bennett adjourned the case until Friday, February 19, so that both a psychiatric report and a probation service pre-sentence report can be carried out and prepared to assess whether or not Jan, who needed a Pashtu interpreter for the trial, is a danger to the public or not.

He remanded the defendant into custody until that date.

man jailed after £12,200 cash-in-transit robbery outside Tesco Express

 Farid, pictured above, was jailed at Bradford Crown Court

Farid, pictured above, was jailed at Bradford Crown Court

A man has been jailed for three years and four months for a £12,200 cash-in-transit robbery outside a Tesco Express in Bradford.

Mohammed Farid threw gravel in the face of a G4S security guard while his accomplice was wielding a hammer, Bradford Crown Court heard today.

Prosecutor Katherine Robinson said the guard went to the ground outside the store on Bolton Road just after 1pm on July 27.

CCTV footage showed Farid’s hammer wielding accomplice running at him and using the weapon to strike the G4S van.

Farid, 23, of Newport Place, Manningham, Bradford, then threw gravel or wood chippings in the guard’s face before the robbers sped off in a red vehicle with the cash cassette.

The guard took the vehicle’s number but it was registered under a false name and address, Miss Robinson said.

The cash cassette was fitted with a tracking device and the police found the getaway vehicle burned out. The cassette was traced to a house in the area and recovered unopened along with a jacket with Farid’s DNA on it.

He made no comment when questioned by the police and went on to plead guilty to the robbery. He was remanded in custody and sentenced on a video link to Leeds Prison.

He had previous convictions for assaulting police officers, battery and possession of offensive weapons.

Farid’s barrister, Andrew Dallas, said he was very remorseful and distressed that a letter he had written to the court had not been delivered.

Mr Dallas said the security guard was uninjured and so could not have been struck by the hammer. His van was scraped by the weapon during the robbery.

Neither Farid nor his accomplice knew what to do with the sophisticated cash cassette they had seized.

Mr Dallas said Farid was under some pressure to join in the robbery because he had run up a drug debt.

“He feels he has been something of a fall guy,” he said.

Although he had been before the courts as a teenager, Farid had kept out of trouble for five years.

He had done agency work at a supermarket in an attempt to lead an honest and decent life.

His weakness for drugs had led to his plans for the future being wrecked.

He had been ill on remand in prison and the victim of an assault, Mr Dallas said.

Judge Colin Burn said the robbery had elements of planning and sophistication.

Farid’s accomplice was armed with a hammer and the getaway vehicle was registered under false details and then burnt out.

Judge Burn said he was taking into account the Covid-19 lockdown regime in prison when fixing the length of the sentence.

Aftre the case, Chris Taylor, G4S Area Risk Consultant said: “This case highlights the dangers cash couriers can face in the course of carrying out the essential role they play in our society. We commend their continued dedication and professionalism.

"We are grateful to West Yorkshire Police for bringing this offender to justice, and hope that the sentence acts as a deterrent to others.”

drug dealer caught with 72 wraps of heroin and crack cocaine in Bradford city centre

 Asif

Asif

A TEENAGE drug dealer caught with 72 wraps of heroin and crack cocaine in Bradford city centre has been locked up for 27 months.

Amaad Asif was sentenced almost two years after he was arrested aged 18 for peddling drugs in North Parade on the late afternoon of December 5, 2018.

Asif, now 20, of Walmer Villas, Manningham, Bradford, pleaded guilty to possession of heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply and possession of criminal property.

Prosecutor Peter Byrne told Bradford Crown Court yesterday that he was seen selling drugs to a known addict.

Police officers on duty in the city centre at 5.20pm watched the drug user phoning Asif who turned up to clinch the sale.

He had 40 wraps of crack cocaine of 57% purity and 32 wraps of heroin of 51% purity in his fleece jacket, plus £52 in cash.

A search of his bedroom uncovered a further £2,074 in cash and dealer cards with a name and number on them.

Mr Byrne asked the court to make a confiscation order in the sum of £2,127 and for the forfeiture and destruction of the drugs.

Asif’s barrister, Shufqat Khan, said he was 18 at the time with no previous convictions and he had stayed out of trouble in the two years since his arrest.

The court was handed a probation report and two references.

Mr Khan said Asif had worked in a call centre but lost his employment and began associating with older men. They allowed him to smoke their cannabis free of charge and then led him into Class A drug dealing.

Asif genuinely regretted what he had done and was very remorseful.

He was the only person in his hardworking and law abiding family to become involved in crime.

Mr Khan said Asif’s father was held in high regard in his business running restaurants and takeaways. His son knew he had brought shame on him and the rest of the family.

He was now living back at home with his parents and he would be found work in the restaurant trade.

Mr Khan said Asif had always intended to plead guilty to the offences but had not been summoned to court by postal requisition until this October.

Judge Andrew Hatton said he and others like him peddled misery on the streets of Bradford.

He sentenced him to 27 months’ detention in a young offender institution.

Bradford man jailed after BMW stolen in Bingley burglary

 Ahmed

Ahmed

A trainee mechanic has been jailed for three years for burgling a house at dead of night and trying to smash his way into another home in broad daylight.

Saif Ahmed was one of a gang that broke into an address in Bingley in the early hours of October 23 while a couple and their children were asleep.

Prosecutor Robert Stevenson told Bradford Crown Court today that Ahmed, 22, of Midland Road, Manningham, Bradford, was on licence at the time and had been recalled to prison.

The burglars stole a handbag and a black BMW 3 series worth £15,000 from the property.

Five days later, the car was used in an attempted housebreaking at 1.30pm on Thorpe Lane in Guiseley.

The male householder heard a loud bang as the gang tried to smash their way into his home. They carried on attempting to force their way in even after he had banged on the window. One of the males then made a one finger gesture at him.

The rear door lock was snapped and the intruders had then tried to kick their way in.

Three suspects in face coverings were seen outside and it was believed they were after a Mercedes car, Mr Stevenson said.

The males made off in the BMW stolen from the house in Bingley. It was seen on Toller Lane, Bradford, on false plates and pursued by the police across the city at high speed until it went down a steep embankment on to a cycle path.

The car was abandoned with the engine running and a police drone found the suspects hiding in bushes nearby. Discarded balaclavas were also discovered.

Ahmed had six previous convictions for 13 offences, including house burglary. He was on licence from a 22 month jail sentence for handling stolen goods and dangerous driving.

He pleaded guilty to burglary, theft of the BMW and attempted burglary and was sentenced on a video link to Leeds Prison.

Ahmed’s barrister, Andrew Semple, conceded that a custodial sentence was inevitable.

Ahmed had been training as a mechanic when he fell into significant cannabis use and ran up a debt. He was then under pressure to repay his dealer.

He had reflected on his offending while on remand under lockdown and wanted to make a fresh start by taking a bricklaying course.

Mr Semple said Ahmed did not make the one finger gesture to the householder. There was no ransacking of the Bingley house it was “limited intrusion to get the keys.”

Judge Andrew Hatton said both the properties were occupied and one had young children in it. Ahmed was part of a group or gang and the stolen BMW was used in the second offence.

He had a previous conviction for house burglary and was on licence at the time.

Three men jailed for roles in Bradford organised crime

 From left, Altaf, Shah and Ashraf

From left, Altaf, Shah and Ashraf

Three men have been jailed for a total of 35 years for their roles in organised crime that saw the seizure of cocaine and heroin worth £1.214 million and four Glock pistols with silencers and 200 rounds of ammunition.

Before Bradford Crown Court today were Rashid Ashraf, 40, of Leeds Old Road, Heckmondwike (also known as Mohammed Rashid); Rizwan Shah, 27, of Fairbank Terrace, Girlington, Bradford; and Raja Altaf, 28, of St Mary’s Terrace, Manningham, Bradford.

Prosecutor Alasdair Campbell said the men and others were arrested as the result of a police surveillance operation into an organised crime gang operating in the Bradford area.

Ashraf played a leading role in the organisation using a network of trusted people to store and deliver the drugs and launder money.

The police seized 21 kilos of high-purity cocaine and two kilos of heroin with a combined value of £1.214 million.

Also recovered was £273,000 in cash and “assassination kits” of four lethal Glock pistols with silencers and 200 rounds of ammunition.

One man, not yet sentenced, laundered £5 million for the organisation, the court was told.

Ashraf was arrested in April by armed police. He was in a Mercedes car with the registration plate PI5TOL. He was wearing black gloves on a warm day and in possession of a kilo block of cocaine.

Shah worked for Ashraf, storing the drugs and guns, and Altaf was a multi-kilo drugs customer of the organisation, Mr Campbell said.

Ashraf pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, possession of criminal property and conspiracy to possess prohibited weapons and ammunition. He was jailed for 18 years.

Shah pleaded guilty to possession of Class A drugs with intent to supply, possession of criminal property and possession of prohibited firearms and ammunition. He was jailed for ten years.

Altaf admitted possession of cocaine with intent to supply and dangerous driving, in March this year, and was imprisoned for seven years.

Matthew Harding, Ashraf’s barrister, conceded that a lengthy custodial sentence was inevitable but said he did not fall into the top category of drug suppliers. He had no previous convictions for firearms offences.

Ashraf’s primary concern was for his elderly parents who had been threatened following his arrest.

Jonathan Turner, for Shah, said members of his family had suffered serious health problems because of the stress following his arrest.

Andrew Dallas, for Altaf, said he was of previous good character. He was a drug addict who became involved in the trade because of debts and pressure.

He was a carer for his ill mother and had worked for many years as a delivery driver and at a hardware store.

The Recorder of Bradford, Judge Richard Mansell QC, said Ashraf played a leading role in the organisation. Shah was a trusted operative and Altaf a drugs customer.

Three others are yet to be sentenced for their roles in the organisation, that was running between February and May this year.

Police charge 32 men from West Yorkshire with more than 150 child sex offences