Man 'had bomb-making documents'

A man accused of terror offences had bomb-making instructions on a computer as well as footage of hostages being killed in Iraq, a court has heard.

Omar Altimimi, 37, from Bolton, Greater Manchester, also had computer files on detonators and explosives and bombing strategies, it is alleged.

The court heard the documents were on a computer found at Mr Altimimi's home.

He denies six charges of possession of the material for a purpose connected with terrorism.

Manchester Crown Court heard Mr Altimimi is also accused of the acquisition and attempted possession of criminal property - a stolen sum of money amounting to £3,000.

'Terrorist activities'

It is alleged he acquired the money dishonestly from the Yemen. He denies the charge.

The court heard Mr Altimimi was arrested last year on suspicion of money laundering when he tried to withdraw £3,000 believed to have been stolen from the Yemen Tourist Promotion Board.

The prosecution said the computer carrying terror-related files was recovered from Mr Altimimi's home, where he lived with his partner, when it was raided seven weeks after his arrest.

Opening the case for the prosecution, Tim Barnes QC said the computer contained "a large number of files which were concerned with a variety of terrorist activities".

Mr Barnes told the jury: "The Crown's case is that on the computer there was a large number of files which were concerned with a variety of terrorist activities and which also included graphic and appalling video footage of the execution of those who had been taken hostage or were considered enemies by insurgent factions in Iraq."

Fingerprints and non-terror related documents linking Mr Altimimi to the computer were also discovered on it, the court was told.

"This provides compelling evidence as to who used the computer and who was responsible for the files - including the terrorist files," Mr Barnes said.

The jurors were told they will been shown clips from the executions but that the "most unsettling and disturbing sequences" would be pixellated out.

Earlier the trial judge, the Recorder of Manchester, Judge David Maddison, told the jury the trial would also focus on a second computer, found at a second address.

Mr Altimimi listened in the dock with the aid of an interpreter as the judge said: "It will have been obvious from the reading out of the charges that Mr Altimimi faces a number of charges which, to put it at its very simplest, involves the possession of articles connected with terrorism.

'Access'

"These articles, members of the jury, were documents stored on two different computers and the two computers were found in two different addresses amongst addresses mentioned to you yesterday."

He added: "Again, to put it very simply, the prosecution say these two addresses are down to the defendant Mr Altimimi, the two computers are down to the defendant Mr Altimimi and he was in the possession of the various documents stored on the computers.

"It may well be the only issue is whether or not Mr Altimimi was in possession of the computers.

"His case is that the documents were not in his possession and had nothing at all to do with him, he did not know they were on the computer, other people had access to the computers."

day 2

Tips on hiding bombs in washing powder and sweet boxes were among several from terror manuals found on a suspect's home computer, a court has heard.

Omar Altimimi, 37, also had video clips from Muslim extremists showing Osama bin Laden praising the "Knights of London" for the 7 July bombings.

Mr Altimimi, from Bolton, Greater Manchester, came to the UK in 2004.

He denies six charges of possession of the material for a purpose connected with terrorism.

He also denies the acquisition and attempted possession of criminal property.

Manchester Crown Court heard that Mr Altimimi applied for jobs in teaching and with the police in his community.

Explosives advice

But the father of three, who created three "parallel" identities, also gathered information on terrorism which was discovered when he was arrested on money laundering charges in February last year, the court heard.

It is alleged that money stolen from the Yemen Tourist Board was transferred to an account at the Nationwide Building Society in Bolton before some of it - £3,000 - was later transferred to his account.

The computer files identified targets such as markets, stadium exits, colleges, cinemas, buses and bus stops, the court heard.

And the files contained the guidance: "In occasions and festivals you could hide explosives in flowerpots or boxes of sweets."

The court also heard that a recipe for creating poisonous cyanide gas using tablet capsules which would kill humans within minutes was also found.

One document is alleged to have said: "Explosives could be hidden in boxes of washing powder like a 5kg box of Persil or Ariel washing powder."

Tim Barnes QC, prosecuting, told the jury "appalling and gruesome" video clips of the execution of hostages by Muslim extremists were also found on Mr Altimimi's computer, which will be shown to the jury later in the trial.

day 3

jury told of "terror hoard" on defendant's computer

"Police found a number of job descriptions and applications including one for a cleaning supervisor for Greater Manchester Police and another for a job as a trainee teacher at Bolton College," along with computer contents discussing, among other things, "killing soldiers and police officers," and "demolishing infidel universities."