Lawyer ‘tipped off terror chief’

A LAWYER defending the 21/7 bombers tipped off a suspected terror training chief that police were after him, a court heard yesterday.
Mohammed Hamid, 50, was allegedly warned that his “camps” formed part of the case against the terrorists.
Days later he was arrested with his supporters at a restaurant as they met to “get their stories straight”, the jury heard.
Hamid – accused of training the 21/7 bombers – was asked to be a defence witness at their trial.
Yesterday he told how a female solicitor for London firm Arani & Co telephoned asking for his help.

He told the court: “She was representing one or two people in the trial. She wanted me to take her down to the Lake District and show her exactly where we camped – the places, the villages, the pubs, the mountains.
“I said I had already been interviewed by the police. She said if I have anybody else who came on the camping trip who hadn’t been interviewed – then I should let her know.
“That’s why I invited about nine people to come to the restaurant.”
The meeting at the Bridge To Chinatown restaurant in Borough, South London, was broken up by anti-terror cops – who arrested Hamid and the others.
David Farrell QC, suggested Hamid met the other campers to “get their stories straight”.
He told him: “You knew from your discussions with the solicitor that this is what the prosecution in the case was alleging – that your training camps were terrorist training camps.”
Hamid – dubbed “Osama bin London” – insisted the solicitor “never let off any details”, adding: “She just said to me, ‘Will you give a statement about the camping trip and will you show us the place you camped.’”

Later the jury sent a note to the judge complaining that Hamid was “preaching instead of answering questions”. And they asked for an expert on Islam to verify his religious claims.
Arani & Co represented Muktar Said Ibrahim, 29, Yassin Omar, 26, and Ramzi Mohammed, 25, before they were jailed for 40 years for the failed attacks on London commuters.
Hamid, of Clapton, East London, and four others deny terror charges.
The trial at Woolwich Crown Court continues.